Written By Tommy Adams

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I’m going to share a few memories I have of Ralston that really stuck out for me.

So, I first met Ralston when we were both running backs for the freshman football team. Ralston was the fastest kid on the team, and we would run all of our pitch plays to him. The way a pitch play typically works is that the quarterback tosses the ball backwards to the runningback, who then runs just outside the defensive lineman before turning downfield, looking for a hole in the defense to run through. This was not the case with Ralson. After catching the pitch pass, he would make a straight beeline for the sideline, and only once he got there, would he start running downfield. He knew he could beat anyone in a footrace; his goal was to maximize the amount of running involved in each play so that he could outwork everyone else. He didn’t fuss around with jukes or fancy footwork; instead, he relied on his conditioning and determination. I would say that most of the time, it worked.

Ralston had an incredible work ethic and a unique ability to focus on the task at hand. I have always admired his drive and willpower. The man would frequently pull off absurd feats that I could never imagine doing myself - like running 15 miles for fun, or that time he pulled an all-nighter to finish his AP Bio summer homework before the first day of school. Ralston continually strived to improve himself and make the most of each day.

Most of my memories with Ralston are from hanging out at Kyle’s house on Friday afternoons. We would play basketball, super smash, and chess for hours on end. In particular, I remember how Ralston would get very animated when wrestling with Zack. Ralston wasn’t the best at wrestling but his smack talk was fire. Zack would pin him down and put him in a headlock, but it still wouldn’t stop him from spewing ridiculous insults that would make us all crack up. Although he was usually pretty reserved, Ralston had a goofy side that sometimes came out during games.

My last and most recent memory of Ralston, was at a birthday celebration at Alameda beach. We were all enjoying a picnic and discussing Thanksgiving plans, covid, and our recent stock market bets. At some point, Ralston abruptly left the circle and started intensely running up and down the beach. He would go about 50 yards, turn around and then run the other way. After about 30 minutes, he rejoined our conservation for a bit, before leaving again to put on his wetsuit and swim laps in the ocean. I think Jeremy even pulled out his phone to document Ralston sprinting from the beach into the waves.

After knowing Ralston all these years, this didn’t surprise me at all. It was just Ralston being Ralston. He wasn’t afraid to ignore social norms in order to pursue his passions and be himself, and I loved that about him. I am sad that I won’t be able to make any more memories with Ralston, but I am grateful for the ones that I have. He was a great friend and I’m going to miss having him in my life.