Click here to read Jake’s collaborative piece on the Carolina Basketball Museum
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Healthy, Focused, Ambitious: Jake.
By Seyi Gbadegesin
Have you ever been told that you are too small for sports? First, he tried lacrosse: too small. Then, he tried football: too small. Next, he tried basketball: too small. So at 12 years old, 4-foot-9 Jake Gore tried his hand at one more sport.
And the rest is history.
“Tennis is fun, stress-relieving and helps clear the mind”, says the rising senior from Midlothian High School in Midlothian, Va.
Jake, a team captain and recent MVP, took to tennis like paper to glue. During a recent district match, Jake and his teammates were down 4 – 2 after a singles matches and were on the verge of elimination. Jake led his team to victory as they won all three doubles matches and completed “a miracle comeback” to advance to regionals.
Outside of playing tennis and hanging out with friends, Jake spends the majority of his time studying for tests and doing homework.
“My schedule is literally eat, sleep, school, and tennis” Jake said. This dedication to his academic life has lead Jake to become the President of the National Honor Society this past fall.
“As President, I have to organize fundraisers, [organize] community service opportunities and speak at the induction ceremony” Jake said.
Gore hopes to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, or Elon University. All of these schools have journalism programs.
“I love the snow and stuff,” Jake said of a recent trip to Vail, Colo. “ I love to ski with my family.”
Jake has been to different places around the world including Cancun, Aruba and the Bahamas. Jake also plans to travel to France to participate in an exchange program.
“I will live with a French family and do what they do,” Jake said of the trip.
Jake hails from a military background. His great-grandfather was a major leader and a Purple Heart recipient in the Battle of Bulge during World War II. Both his grandfathers served in the Vietnam War. Scott Gore, his father, is a highly decorated dentist in Virginia and voted as one of the “Top Docs” in the state. His mother, Michelle Gore, also works in the medical field as a pharmacist.
“I want to use a position of future popularity and relationships with athletes to teach underprivileged children the importance of having a healthy lifestyle,” Jake said.
Jake believes in living a healthy lifestyle, constantly exercising and avoiding alcohol and drugs. This strong belief has led Jake to decide that he wants to use the microphone as a broadcaster to advocate for a healthy lifestyle for children.