In Their Own Words - Postcard from Henrique Cruz

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AKRON, Ohio - We continue updates from across the country and the world in what we like to call Postcards from The Zips. Up next, from men's soccer is Akron sophomore Henrique Cruz (Fortaleza, Brazil).

First off, are you and your family doing well?

Yes, my family and I are safe. It is always good to be at home and even better that no one in my family has shown any symptoms of the COVID-19. I was afraid of getting the virus traveling through the four airports I had to go to return to Brazil.

With time for reflection have you been able to wrap your head around what has occurred?

It is very difficult to believe in this situation in which the whole world currently lives. It looks like a movie, but we have to understand, accept the reality, and do everything necessary to change this scenario.

Talk about the importance of your family and knowing that they are safely back home?

Being with my family and my dogs these days is very important to me because they give me a lot of comfort, security, love, and peace, basically everything we need in times like today.

What is daily life like knowing that you have been expected to stay inside your homes?

I created a new routine for myself during these days. Basically, I wake up at 9 a.m., I have my breakfast and I do my first workout of the day. Then we have lunch and I have time for a quick rest until 1:30 when I attended an online class. I usually did my second workout of the day, lighter, after classes. Finally, when it comes to night, I would do some homework, and I play FIFA 20 game in PS4 or I watch some movies before I go to bed.

Talk about the journey back home to home (wherever you are)?

So, right after the coaches told us that the idea would be for us to go home, I immediately started looking for flights to Brazil because I was afraid of cancelling international flights. As the distance is long from Ohio to my city Fortaleza, I had to take four flights and pass through four different airports until I got home. So, in the first days that I got home I was worried about having contracted the virus and transmitting it to my family, but today I feel more relaxed because we are all healthy.

Discuss your feelings as the events were occurring that ultimately led to the cancellation of spring sports?

It is a very sad feeling, hard to believe. It was many days of hard work and focus of many athletes to achieve their goals and titles, but we have to understand that this pandemic is taking many lives worldwide, and in fact it is more important than anything in the world that people stay safe at home.

Discuss your communication with your teammates around the world and back here in Ohio during this time?

My communication with my teammates is very good, we are always talking in WhatsApp and Snapchat groups that we have. My relationship with all of them is very fun, we share many hours every day in training, weight room, rehab, and locker room, so our relationship is very good. I particularly laugh every day in the locker room, as these are moments where everyone is talking and joking about something together before going to work.

Discuss what your next steps will be in training as you move forward with an eye of being ready in the fall?

My main goal now is to get fit; it is a challenge for all athletes to do workouts at home and achieve a high level of fitness, but I am focused, and anxious to be able to step on the field again. But it is time to be patient, to continue working hard so that when the fall arrives, I hope every player will be at his best level so that we can achieve our greatest goal of being a national champion.

Can you describe what it has means to be a Zip, especially during this time?

Be a Zip for me means a lot, one of the things I learned as a Zip to have a strong mentality, which we worked a lot on at this point in our soccer program. And more than ever in times like today, we need to be mentally strong to deal with this situation. I would like to thank all of Zips Nation for all the support during this time. I hope you are well and healthy. I also hope that everything can return to normal as quickly as possible and that everyone is safe.

The University of Akron Athletics

In Their Own Words - Postcard from Henrique Cruz

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