When Trinity Gray is racing the 800-meters, you know you are in for a fast race. “The way I run stands out,” says the twenty-four year old with soft-spoken humility. As one of the top-ranked Americans, he is among the top contenders for a medal in the 800m at the 2004 Olympics. With dedicated training and funding from the U.S. Athletic Trust, Trinity Gray can devote his potential to making history.

Degree in hand, Trinity is putting plans for a career in clinical psychology on hold while he trains for the Olympics. “The timing is good,” Trinity says with enthusiasm. “Athletes in track don’t peak until they are twenty-six, and by the time the next Olympics rolls around, I will be at the top of my game.”

Trinity Gray already has a long and successful career in track. His interest in and talent for running was first demonstrated on the streets of his hometown, Philadelphia, where he joined the neighborhood kids in racing up and down the block. At the age of eight, he attended his first out-of-state meet, the East Coast Invitational, where he was named outstanding athlete for the eight and under age group, with the fastest time at the meet for the 1500-meter, running 5:23. And he has been winning ever since.

In high school, Trinity dominated the 800m, winning the East Coast Invitational five years in a row. He also won the nationals twice. At the same time, Trinity was an outstanding student, graduating first in his public high school class. While at Brown, Trinity was an eight-time all-American, and seven time NCAA qualifier, winning the bronze in his final outdoor season. He competed at the Pan-Am games, the World University games, and the Goodwill games. In his senior year, Trinity was named NCAA Northeast region athlete of the year.

In 2000, Trinity placed sixth at the Olympic trials. In 2001, he was the silver medalist at the US Outdoor Nationals and took home a silver medal in the 4×400 relay at the World Indoor Championships. He also had strong finishes in European World Cup events, was the top American in the 800m. While 2002 has not been his most successful year, he hopes to improve upon his times and regain his podium position.

Trinity is very confident that he will continue to train at a high level, but he is concerned about finances. He has a stipend from Nike - but even that, combined with his job, is not enough to pay his living and travel expenses and student loans. Travel expenses impose even greater difficulties. With funding from the U.S. Athletic Trust, Trinity Gray will be freed up to do what he does best: run very, very fast, toward the goal of the 2004 Olympics.

My greatest moment in track and field occurred on March 8, 2001. That was the day I won my first national championship; however, it was the not the win, but the process of becoming the 2001 US Indoor National Champion that I cherish the most.

Although the actual race only took 1:47.10 to complete, the process of winning a national championship had been 17 years in the making. It was 17 years ago that I joined my first track team, which was organized by a church in my West Philadelphia neighborhood. I remember the afternoon when my sister and brother came home, proclaiming to my mother that they had joined a track team. After hearing this, I, only six at the time immediately volunteered myself to do the same. Three weeks later, on a day I missed practice due to being under the weather, my brother and sister returned from practice red-faced and out of breath vowing never to return. After hearing this, my mother turned to me and asked if I would also like to quit track. Without a moment’s hesitation, I lifted my head from my tomato soup and assured my mother that I wanted no such thing. That marked the beginning of my 17-year journey to my first national championship.

Throughout the 17 years leading up to my first national championship, I continually found myself defying other people’s expectations of the best path to success. As a youth, teams with better athletes then my current teammates would try to convince me to join them because of the great relay potential. When applying to high school, I chose a school that lacked a strong track program despite being accept to Central High, the number one public school both athletically and academically. Lastly, instead of taking a scholarship from a top ranked Division 1 track and field program, I chose to pursue my academic and athletic career at Brown University, a school with a less distinguished track and field reputation.

My decisions of defiance also displayed itself on the track through my style of racing. While other athletes adopted the sit-and-kick strategy, I would find myself in the front of the pack pushing the pace. Observers of my aggressive racing tactics frequently informed me that if I continued to run from the front I would never win a national championship. And until March 8, 2001 this turned out to be true; the closest I came to winning a national championship was my second place finish at the 1999 Indoor Collegiate Championships.

During the two years following my near championship victory in 1999, I tried different race tactics, but each outcome ended in failure, with my best finish being 5th place at the Milrose Games. When I placed last in the final meet before the 2001 national championship, I had a long talk with my coach about who I was and who I had become. During that meeting, I realized that I had forgotten that my defiance had led me to the elite level of track and field. After leaving the room, I once again understood who I was and I understood that I had to go back to the front running tactics that had established me as one of the track and field elite.

My greatest moment in track and field occurred on March 8, 2001. That was the day I won my first national championship, leading the race wire-to-wire. Every time I look at my championship medal I am reminded of who I am and the process that has led me to where I am.