My Greatest Accomplishment, Track and Field

As I sit here trying to isolate one moment that I consider my greatest athletic accomplishment, I find myself lost amidst a history of successes that stand far from my ultimate goals. Being presented with questions of this nature along my path toward a berth at the junior Olympic nationals, my first national competition in high school, my first international competition as a junior competitor, my berth at the NCAAs, my first international competition as a senior competitor, my first USA Nationals, and finally, toward an Olympic berth and platform on the medal stand in 2004, I have been inclined to reply according to my most recent success (one title or another, breaking a new record, breaking my old record, winning another title, etc), the one that outweighs all previous experiences at that particular juncture in my life.

As I mature as an athlete, I am beginning to view my accomplishments differently; my focus has shifted from where I have been to where I intend to go. That being said, from my perspective, all of my accomplishments feel small only because I am seeking so much more. That ‘more’ is my dedication to excellence; I am in pursuit of that enlightenment rumored to exist just a few centimeters higher, tenths of a second faster, and a couple inches further from where I stand now.

My greatest athletic accomplishment? Any individual can read the list above to determine what they deem worthy of “greatness”. I say that with an Olympic medal as my dream I have yet to achieve something tangible deserving of that title. My greatest accomplishment? If I can move into a realm that far exceeds the boundaries of the pits, the lanes on the track, and sectors on the field, then I would dare to say that my greatest accomplishment as an athlete has been finding myself: learning to let my heart be my guide, for through it all things are possible; learning that if I let passion determine my dedication then I will never fail; recognizing that in experiencing success and failure, in learning to embrace each with equal admiration, I am creating the person I want to become. My athletic career is largely responsible for who I am today. Track and field has been at the root of most of my decisions throughout my formative years; be they questions about dedication, perseverance, pain, over-coming pain, commitment, hate, contempt, or any other gambit of emotions that the world throws at you on a daily basis. What is my greatest accomplishment? Everyday that definition changes as I climb onward on weary legs toward my definition of success and self..

Recounting the most memorable moment in my track and field career is a difficult task indeed. I think most would describe their first appearance at some big meet or another, or would relay how they felt when they won this title or that; I think my most memorable moment is a bit more personal. I am a true competitor. My greatest opponent is myself. I love track because of its purity, because there is no limit to your capabilities outside of your own mind. I love challenging myself, and will continue to pursue my track career until I am satisfied that I have reached my potential. With that said, I can accurately portray to you, the reader, why one moment in particular stands out in my mind as “most memorable”:
The heptagonal championships (both indoor and out) is perhaps the most grueling competition one could ever imagine engaging in. With all of the ferocity and desire of any division one program, without the funding to support individual event athletes, everyone was asked to dig deep and compete in any event in which they might score. I, being a heptathlete, was asked to do the impossible. I had as many as nineteen races in the two day span-competing in the multi, the individual events that it is comprised of, and the relays. During one such meet-the 2001 indoor championships I did the pentathlon along with multiple individual events and relays. I was the favorite in the pentathlon by a significant margin so to minimize fatigue in my other events my coach allowed me only one standing throw in the shot, one attempt in the long jump, and insisted that I jog my 800. My performances weren’t stellar as one might imagine, my attention was divided between the multi (on day one) and the trials for all of my other events that would contest finals on the following day. When I arrived at my 800 my coach informed me that to in order to break the 4000 pt barrier I need only run a 2:30 in the 800. For the first three laps of the race I led my teammate through at 35 second pace so that she could PR in that event and move up two places. On the last lap I dropped back to a slow jog. When I crossed the finish line I didn’t even notice my time. I was glad the day was over, I knew had broken 4000 pts, and set a new Ivy League record. My score was announced. 4,053 pts. What is the significance of that number? I couldn’t believe it. My last pentathlon my senior year of college broke by a single point the score of the first heptathlon I competed in as a junior in high school. My progression has never been so apparent. I spent everyday of the last five years improving gradually. College sent me many illnesses and injuries, set backs that hindered my progress, heightened my frustration, and made my goals appear impossible. At that moment I was reminded how far I have journeyed. I was reminded that my mediocre day performances had risen to a new level; in the multi that defines your ability. Record breaking performances happen once in a blue moon when a great athlete PRs in most of her seven events, but titles generally go to the heptathlete that can put together the highest score despite suffering through several poor events (poor by her standards). I had no idea that at the time that score was leading the country. I had no idea that at that time I was ranked 21st in the world. The season ended. I was ranked second in the nation by 21 pts and 29th in the world with a performance geared solely towards winning an Ivy League title. The way I felt in that moment has driven me through many a difficult practice, multiple nagging injuries, and most importantly through every day whose gain wasn’t immediately apparent. I will hold onto that feeling through the next two years knowing that every day is simply a vehicle to transport me from sixth in the nation to the awards stand in Athens.