On this Steep Ravine episode Matt Wilkinson and Dave Frank sit down with Jeff Atkinson to trace his early life from Manhattan Beach junior lifeguard to Stanford freshman runner. Jeff shares candid memories of family, loss, unexpected recruiting moments, Kinney/Foot Locker nationals, training summers, injuries, and the shift from cross-country to middle-distance racing.This is the first part of a two-episode conversation covering Jeff’s formative years and the choices that set him on the path to elite competition.