If JJ Lew had one hot take to tell the world, he would make sure it sizzled.

“This might be a crazy take, but I think that rap is uninspired Satanist propaganda,” Lew said.

He obviously presents a unique perspective, one that is reflective of his out-there and bold personality. This pretty much sums up Lew’s life; if JJ Lew wants to do or say something, he’s either going to go big or go home. That’s exactly what he does everywhere, at all times.

“Last year was great. I mean it was a fresh experience and of course just the wild success I had was very enjoyable,” Lew said. “I think a part of my positive view on it was definitely the novelty of what it was in my first season, yet I’m still relatively excited for all of the things that the upcoming season has in store for me.”

While cross country may have been new to him, his times certainly didn’t reflect that. Lew got the bump to varsity last season to help Oak Park High School clinch the CIF Southern Section Title.

“I think the most enjoyable race was probably the California Interscholastic Federation‘s (CIF) Southern Section finals, because that was the race that determined that Oak Park was the fastest school in the Southern Section,” Lew said. “I was lucky to be a part of that team, and come second. It was just a wonderful day and I have so many good memories, including innumerable amounts of funny and memorable moments on the car ride home. I think it was truly a watershed moment for both Oak Park and the team, and my own running career.”

While Lew may be a speedster running about, that was never his preferred method of transportation. In reality, much of his rookie success could be attributed to his true love: biking. 

“I think just having a very good aerobic base and having the muscular and aerobic strength that comes from biking greatly helped me to succeed in my first season,” Lew said.

Lew has been biking for a long time.

“I’ve always loved just being outdoors and exercising, but I started riding my bike on the mountain in about 5th grade,” Lew said. “This was during the pandemic, so I had ample time to get out and do things, but I actually joined my competitive league when I was in 6th grade.”

For Lew, biking is more than just a hobby. His success in biking has led him to a consistent rank of top ten for all middle and high schools in the SoCal region, and with it, an invite to an Olympic training center.

“It was the summer of 2024, and basically what I did was I got to go down to the Olympic training center in Chula Vista. I got to ride my bike, eat what the Olympians training there ate and sleep in the same rooms; it was really quite a fascinating experience and I think I got some very valuable training,” Lew said. “There was an after-action report, and one of my coaches, he was like ‘yeah this guy pretty much succeeded in all of the aspects’ and he recommended that I go to the Nationals competitions.”

Along with his coaches, individuals close to Lew have helped shape him into who he is today, not just in his athletic journey, but also his character.

“I think my family has been a very inspirational part of my life. I mean, they’re always driving me on to do better things,” Lew said. “I’d also say Grant Jones, the captain of the cross country team last year; he’s a guy kinda similar to me: biked, ran. I think his mentality and his way of training and just doing things has been inspirational to me.”

Among his thousands of miles of biking, a few core memories have truly stuck with Lew.

“One key memory I have is probably out at a place called Lake Cachuma,” Lew said. “We’re on the lake and we find this remnant of what appears to be a dock, and us being the brave seafaring men that we were, decided to push this remnant of whatever out into the lake and try to sail on it.”

You can imagine how that went. 

“It…well…we were able to stand upon the water for a few moments, at least,” Lew said.

As a result of his unforgettable experiences and incredible performances in the sport, biking has left a substantial mark on Lew as a person.

“I think it’s contributed to my great love for nature and perhaps even greater love for southern California,” Lew said. “I mean, I don’t live in Oak Park, but the trails out here are incredible. It’s so freeing; it’s wonderful to be able to get out on a Sunday morning and be able to ride 30 miles and see the Pacific Ocean the whole time. It’s a wonderful way to be out in nature, to see beautiful things and to just have a good time exercising.”

Beyond his certainly remarkable athletic career, Lew partakes in as wide a variety of hobbies as one could imagine.

“I love listening to music, I take relaxation in watching TV and playing video games, I play trumpet—I enjoy that pretty thoroughly—and I also like reading,” Lew said.

In particular, Lew is what some would call a music connoisseur.

“I’m an expert in basically any music from the Baroque period up to the 1950s. I know most orchestral works by ear, and I can give you history on a lot of them,” Lew said.

Apart from these pastimes, Lew also has an affinity for investing, and has some strong advice for up and coming investors.

“I think that the AI bubble is going to pop eventually, and I think the main thing that young investors should be worried about right now is focusing on when that bubble will pop without over-focusing on it,” Lew said.

This passion is one of many that have likely influenced Lew’s plans for the future.

“I’ve always wanted to be an investment banker, but I’ve also thought that I might want to get a theology degree from one of the better schools,” Lew said. “It seems to be one of the more interesting topics out there to me.”

Yet whether it be investment banking, mountain biking or any other one of Lew’s countless interests, there is always one common factor with him.

“You don’t live without taking risks. That’s something I live by, for sure.”