Feature Stories
Nate Peck, '08
No student athlete ever forgets their “glory years,” however only a select group of athletes are immortalized by the university. Nate Peck ’08 is joining that elite group this October for his achievements in cross-country when he is inducted into GVSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
During his running career at Grand Valley, Peck was All-American 15 times. He maintained a rank as a top 20 runner in the country all four years and finished seventh his senior year. He was also named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Cross Country Athlete of the Year three times. In track, Peck is GVSU’s all-time leader in GLIAC indoor and outdoor points scored. Peck was a relentless student athlete and logged 100 miles each week with his teammates to turn the cross-country program into something spectacular.
“During [my team’s] years at Grand Valley, we helped the program go from one where the 5K record went from 15:00 minutes flat to having guys run in the 14:30’s every year now,” said Peck.
Peck is a natural giver— he spent many years volunteering for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and even took in his “little” when he ran into some legal trouble. Professionally, he ran for two years with ZAP Fitness and now works with those diagnosed with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorders, and several other types of mental illnesses.
A Coopersville native, Peck was always familiar with Grand Valley. When the time came to head to college, He chose GVSU because it was one of the only schools interested in him athletically. Fortunately, Peck knew the value of hard work from his father, who demonstrated admirable determination to build a solid foundation for his family. With that inspiration, Peck knew dedication and drive was what it would take to reach success.
Peck gave all the time, effort, and talent he had to Grand Valley, and his alma mater has been continuously giving back to him. Other than being inducted into the GVSU Hall of Fame, many additional important aspects of Peck’s life began at the university. His work effort off the track paid dividends in the form of career opportunities.
“I have heard from several of my past employers that they are always impressed with GVSU graduates’ ability to jump directly into the field that they have studied,” said Peck.
His time at Grand Valley also left Peck with life-changing relationships. He met his wife, Lynsey, at GVSU who was also a part of the track and cross-country teams. His favorite memories are those with his teammates— celebrating, encouraging, and supporting.
With faith being the center of his life, Peck feels certain that choosing Grand Valley was a calling from God. Since then he has followed his callings; to help those with mental illness, to run competitively, to run professionally, to wherever he may end up next.
“[My advice is] to be willing to go wherever God calls you. He’ll give you the strength to accomplish his plan.”
Peck lives in Muskegon with his wife, Lynsey and his daughter, Lia. Peck will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, October 23 at the Kirkhof Center, then honored at halftime during the Grand Valley State vs. Findlay homecoming games on Saturday, October 24.
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