Merritt Inspires Crimson

Meet Favia Merritt. She is pre-med, enjoys filmmaking, serves as a personal trainer, served as the treasurer for Harvard Unite for Sight, and she runs for the Harvard track team.

So what can’t she do?

She is allergic to exercise, she has dislocated both her hips numerous times, she is allergic to the cold, heat, pressure and friction, and has chronic sinusitis and bronchitis.

But despite all of these things, the senior still managed to find the drive–and the time–to be one of Harvard’s top sprinters the past three years.

“She is an incredible student-athlete,” head coach Jason Saretsky said. “She has a host of allergies and she has had to work through many injuries.”

“But no matter what has been going on, she has always found a way to persevere, and get out there to compete for us,” he continued.

Through numerous trials to find the perfect workout, passion for the sport and unyielding commitment to the team, Merritt has been able to overcome the numerous obstacles that have been thrown at her, and help the Harvard track team steadily gain momentum through the years.

“I absolutely love track and love the team,” Merritt said. “And being on the team and having such wonderful people around me has motivated me to keep going.”

Merritt’s optimistic attitude has been a key factor in her success on the track.

“Favia’s persistence comes from her ability to keep a positive attitude through hardships,” Merritt’s teammate Sean Gil said. “She can tolerate a huge amount of discomfort, and never lets it limit her performance. Deep under her bubbly personality, there is subtle and intense determination that seems to drive her to achieve.”

Her presence is always well known at meets, whether it is when she is flying past her opponents, cheering for her team, or providing entertainment when nothing else is going on.

“She’s just a fiery competitor and she has one of the most remarkable screams for her teammates that you would ever hear,” Saretsky said. “She always comes out with so much support for her teammates.”

Her support for the team has been unwavering since her arrival at Harvard. And even when she had to take time off from school to have multiple surgeries to help with her allergies, Merritt did not miss a beat on her arrival back in Cambridge.

“With the health issues she had freshman year and the tough class schedule she is always juggling, it would have been really easy for her to stop,” senior Brittan Smith said. “As a teammate, I am grateful for what she contributes to our team. As a friend, I am even more grateful to have her there.”

Merritt’s hip injury has been with her since the eighth grade, and her allergies have been with her since she was only seven years old. Learning how to cope and progress with these ailments have been crucial in her success as a collegiate athlete.

In spite of her many ailments, Merritt claims the school record in both the 100 meters, at 11.82 seconds, and the 4x100 meter relay, her two favorite events. She also picked up the Pappy Hunt Award her sophomore year for improvement, and the Women’s Most Valuable Performer Award last year.

Merritt’s diet is one more trait that separates her from the rest of the team. Her pre-game meal includes a chicken burrito from the infamous Felipe’s Taqueria, and her appetite continues throughout the entire meet.

“[Her appetite] is quite weird, because doing that would make other people sick during practice, but it makes her feel better.” Smith said.

This past weekend, Merritt led the Crimson at the Harvard/Yale-Oxford/Cambridge meet in New Haven, Conn. She took first place individually in both the 100-meter run and the 200-meter run, and helped the 4x100 team claim the first place title as well. For her dominating performance, Merritt was named co-winner of the most valuable performer’s award.

This weekend will mark the last home meet of the regular season, and Merritt and the rest of the Harvard track and field team are ready to compete.

“I see her finishing up really strong as she has established herself as one of the top sprinters in the Ivy League,” Saretsky said. “Going up against Yale this week where she will have a big day, and hopefully finishing up a strong season.”