Interview with Hunter Henderson - Class of 2018 - Shawnee Heights Grad - Topeka's Best Senior Portraits

 Recently we photographed Hunter for a short senior session. He was one of several winners from a contest we did and so we had the opportunity to photograph him and since he is graduating in 2018, he is technically our very first 2018 senior! Kind of crazy right?! Hunter is such a nice guy, a down to earth, happy, easy going young man. We photographed his whole session at the Shawnee Heights High stadium. Even though our time was short, it was a fun shoot. It was a beautiful afternoon and everything was clicking perfect (pun intended)! One thing I liked about Hunter was he had an equally great smile and serious look. I also admire his personality and attitude. Very respectable young man and I especially feel that now reading his great answers. Hope you enjoy his photos and interview as much as I do. Thank you and have a great night!

T.H. Peterson: What is one thing you really like about Shawnee Heights?
Hunter: One thing that I really like about Shawnee Heights is how amazing the teachers are there. They truly want what's best for their students and I envy that.

T.H. P.: What is the best thing about running long distance?
Hunter: The best thing about distance running is all the long hours spent running where you can think about anything you want. It's my stress reliever and helps me relax. When schools getting tough, I just go on a run and forget about everything.

T.H. P.: What’s the longest distance you’ve ever run?
Hunter: The longest I've ever run on a long run during practice is close to 10 miles. The longest the race I've ran in, is a 5k (3.1 miles).

T.H. P.: So I was really impressed to know you’ve competed and won in the junior olympics. What was that like? 
Hunter: The opportunity to go to Virginia Beach and Houston was absolutely amazing! They were both week long track meets and the best of the best kids around the nation were there competing. Even though there is a lot of pressure on me, it's an experience I won't forget.

T.H. P.: Okay one last question about your running. What is something that you would say is crucial if you want to be a good runner?
Hunter: Distance running is 90% mental 10% physical. To be a good runner, you need to have a passion for the sport of running and believe in yourself. Sometimes I run into issue of lacking mental confidence and my times are affected from it. So have a positive attitude is probably one of the most important things.

T.H. P.: What music pumps you up?
Hunter: I usually listen to rap/hip hop because to pump me up before a race. Here recently I've been listen to Kendrick Lamar and Future. Fast paced music get me into a rhythm that I can use while running to stay on pace.

T.H. P.: What is your favorite indoor activity?
Hunter: My favorite indoor activity would have to be watching movies, especially on raining days. I'm usually always doing something so my time at home or even inside is limited.

T.H. P.: What’s your favorite season?
Hunter: My favorite season would have be summer because there's no school and perfect time to get out and stay active. 

T.H. P.: What are your plans after high school?
Hunter: After high school, I plan to go to a 4 year college and run cross country and track and field. I'm still trying to narrow down where I want to go, but I'm positive that I want to run in college. As far as profession, I was thinking about becoming a physician assistant after getting a major in kinesiology or exercise science.

T.H. P.: What’s a movie you could watch over and over?
Hunter: My go to movie is Forrest Gump. I grew up watching that movie almost every single day and I've always been able to watch it no matter how many times I've seen it. It's probably one of the reasons why I become a distance runner.

To book your own session, please call Tommy or Holly at 785.793.2492 or 785.213.0812 or email tommy@thpetersonphoto.com