Of all the record-setting numbers 800m specialist Helen Crofts has posted while a star athlete on SFU’s track and field team, perhaps the most impressive is 4.14.

That number is Crofts’ almost unheard of grade-point average, a mark in Biological Sciences that earned the West Vancouver native the top Clan Scholar Athlete award.

She claimed that honour while taking home the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II’s Indoor and Outdoor 800m Championships during the 2013 season, becoming the first representative from a Canadian university to win an individual NCAA track and field championship.

Crofts has been at the front of the pack most of her SFU athletic career, the only setback a stress fracture to her right foot that hijacked her 2012 season.

The injury not only halted her ability to compete for the Clan; it derailed her chance at qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games. Crofts stayed home and watched as one of her closest friends, training partner and former SFU 800m teammate Jessica Smith competed for Canada in London.

“I’d never really been injured before and I didn’t know what to expect,” says Crofts, who is debating whether her academic future involves a master’s degree or medical school.

“But I set my goals for this season, and continued to put the work in during practice. It’s tough to watch races from the sidelines, but that is when you really need to stay positive and focused on the process.”

While her immediate future involves the Canadian Championships in June and the World University Games in Russia later this summer, Crofts has her long-range sights set on the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

“I’ve had a fantastic time at SFU, I’ve loved every minute of my time here,” says Crofts, who will speak at convocation.

“I’ve met amazing people, incredible teammates and coaches.  If I can say anything to fellow students, it would be to stay positive and not be afraid to take a chance. You never know what you are going to like until you try it.”