[stag_dropcap font_size=”50px” style=”normal”]L[/stag_dropcap]ast week, Delia Zanoschi and Tum Preugpaibul (RCs) announced the winners of the inaugural HBS exceptional athlete awards, an initiative they started this year to recognize the best athletes at HBS. This week, Delia and Tum interviewed HBS Class of 2016 basketball winner Karley Marty in a compelling Q&A.
Karley Marty: basketball
Section G, Menlo Park, CA, USA
[stag_divider style=”dashed”]What are the areas that carried you to winning titles?
I was never the most athletic, but I was extremely competitive. I practiced a lot. I would get up in the morning and go shoot around with dad. I like the strategy of the game as well. I have always really
enjoyed the mental side of basketball, where I get to work with my teammates and coaches to devise the winning strategy.
What was your magic moment?
In third grade, most people can only play basketball with their dominant hand. My dad said he would buy me a milkshake if I could make three lay-ups in a game with my left (non-dominant) hand. I stopped at nothing until I made my three lay-ups. This is far from a true magic moment, but it instilled in me that sense of competitiveness & drive to work hard.
What advice would you give to people?
People matter more than achievement. Anything can be fun when you’re with the right people. Treating people with respect is of utmost importance. I always want to be a person that values my community over achievement & success.
Looking back, what did playing sports teach you?
A lot of self-discipline. In most sports, you don’t expect to just be good – you know you need to put in hours. It also taught me how to work within a team. It doesn’t matter how good you are if you can’t bring out the best from your teammates. It taught me the basics of what works in my own leadership style.
Tell me something you believe in.
I believe in my Christian faith. To that end, I believe that it is vitally important to know how you personally define success. I think it becomes easy to base that 
definition on the opinions of others, unless you are grounded on something deeper.
What is most important in a friendship?
Trust. With true friends, you trust them with everything. You trust them to be there when things are both good and bad. You also trust in their character – who they are, what they stand for, and what they are dedicated to pursue.
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