Tell our readers about yourself.
I graduated from Littleton High School in 2012. Then I went to Oklahoma State University, where I was an NCAA Champion in the mile in 2016. I graduated in 2017 with a marketing degree and a minor in management and fashion merchandising.
Since 2017, I have been a full-time professional athlete sponsored by Adidas. I train full-time, but I am starting my own marketing business called On Trackk Creative Solutions to prepare for the future and pursue a career where I can be creative and help people.
What event do you compete in?
Since becoming a professional track and field athlete in 2017, my focused event is the 800m, a two-lap sprint.
How did you come to track and field, and when did it become something more than an extracurricular activity?
I grew up athletic, playing different sports and doing other activities; basketball was my main sport. I was always fast and loved racing for fun. It wasn't until my sophomore year of high school that I seriously followed running. After my first season, I began to get interest from colleges, and that is when I knew I needed to make track my full-time sport.
What does a typical day look like for an elite athlete?
There is not much excitement in the daily life of a track athlete; the days are variable based on training. Every athlete has a different approach. Personally, I enjoy slow mornings where I can relax before jumping into the training with coffee and a small breakfast, like a bowl of oatmeal. I either work out, including some intervals on the track, trails, or treadmill, or an easy run. An easy run is about getting the miles in and not pushing the legs too hard; that is what the interval sessions are for. After the training session of the day, I stretch and eat a proper meal. After that, I rest or get the normal-life stuff done. Sometimes, I train again in the afternoon or early evening for another run or a weight regimen at the gym. Since Brian Kula began coaching me this fall, I have spent much time at the KSP Headquarters. There, I train and get all the recovery I need (stretching, Vibex, cold plunge, massage gun, recovery boots, etc.) There's a great sense of community at the facility. I like to spend time there to see my new friends. It's a place where I feel whole and supported because it is such a special environment that seeps excellence.
What are you currently training for?
The ultimate goal is to become an Olympian in 2028. Until then, we are training to make the USA Indoor World team in February and the Outdoor USA team in July.
In 2023, I made my first U.S. World Team. Racing at the highest level in the sport and traveling to Budapest, Hungary, was a special experience.
I have had a lot of ups and downs in my career that have held me back from achieving all of my goals as a professional track athlete. My body still has time and health to shoot for the stars in my career. Coach Kula is helping me and working hard to make those dreams happen.
Tell us the challenges of your Grave's disease diagnosis and the lessons learned as a result.
In 2021, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism( Grave's Disease) during what was shaping up to be one of my best seasons. A personal record (PR) was within reach, and the possibility of making the Olympic Team felt real. However, after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and then contracting the virus, I began to feel off. My energy and strength declined, and I initially attributed it to Long Covid.
Despite feeling off, I pushed through and competed at the Olympic Trials but could not perform at my best, failing to advance past the first round. It was a huge disappointment. I took some time off, hoping my body would recover and allow me to race more. Unfortunately, even after resting, I continued to get worse.
By late summer, I began experiencing symptoms of being uncomfortably hot and sweating, an elevated heart rate, fluctuating weight, extreme weakness, severe insomnia, and a hand tremor. My body was no longer cooperating. I could only run for a few minutes before reaching maximum heart rate, and I had no strength to run uphill.
It wasn’t until October that I found a sports doctor who diagnosed me with hyperthyroidism. I started treatment and began seeing an endocrinologist. It felt as though I was starting from scratch as an elite athlete. It wasn’t until September 2022 that I finally began to feel like myself again, both in training and racing
The fear of my body rebelling against me again was in the back of my mind. The process left me emotionally scarred for some time.
I manage Grave’s Disease with medication and regular blood tests to monitor my levels and ensure they remain within range. My endocrinologists have suggested to remove my thyroid gland. That will not be an option while I am competing at such a high level. I'll be interested to see how my thyroid responds to fewer demands of my body in the future.
For anyone managing Grave's Disease, my advice is to advocate for yourself and stay in tune with your body, communicate openly with your doctors, and don't hesitate to express your needs. No one knows your body better than you.
What would you want lay people to know about your sport and training?
One: Yes, people get paid to run track.
Two: This sport is such a game of mentality.
Three: Even though I train physically for only 45 minutes a day, I still feel tired. All the little things I do throughout the day are related to my job. The way I fuel, the bodywork I do and invest in, and how I spend my energy all matter.
This sport can be really consuming, so it is nice to be surrounded by people who support that but also create balance. It is important to find balance in this lifestyle.
If you weren't a runner, what sport would you be interested in?
I would probably still be in the world of fitness somehow. I love working out and staying fit. I do not know exactly what I would be doing, but I feel like I would have different ventures so I could fulfill different interests of mine.
My job is everything I do daily to prepare my body...fueling, training, rest, and energy conservation.