TFCC Moment of the Week #3 and #4: July 21 -August 3

Boy, has it been an incredibly busy couple of weeks in my life! Between spending two weeks in Colorado getting a chance to run in some high altitudes to driving over to Eugene, Oregon, to watch the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, I haven’t had an opportunity to catch my breath! Hopefully, that helps explain why I will be doing two TFCC Moments of the Week this week. It’s easy to fall behind with so much going on.

My TFCC Moment of the Week comes from neither Colorado or Eugene, but from Monaco. Yes, another Diamond League moment. Great track & field performances never fail to appear at Monaco, where fast times are to be had by all. There were several races and events that could have been named worthy of Track&FieldLife’s Moment of the Week. It could have been Molly Huddle’s breaking of her own American Record in the 5K with a time of 14:42.64, or it could have been an World Leading, Meet Recording-breaking 800m win by Nijel Amos of Botswana over “The King” David Rudisha with a time of 1:42.45, but it was neither of those.

The performance that really stuck out, to me, from the Herculis Meeting in Monaco, was an incredibly stacked men’s 1500m field where 7 men ran under a time of 3 minutes and 30 seconds and first through ninth place were all within 4 seconds of each other. To put things into perspective with how impressive this race really was, just keep reading. In this 1500m race, there was one World Lead mark, one Diamond League Record, one World Junior Record, one Area Record, three National Records, one Season Best time, and three Personal Best times all set by different men in this single event. With a World Leading and Diamond League Record-setting time of 3:27.64, Silas Kiplagat of Kenya  outclassed the rest of the stacked field to come home with the victory.

WATCH MONACO 1500m RACE HERE

The next TFCC Moment of the Week comes from the IAAF World Junior Championships held in TrackTown USA, Eugene, Oregon. An amazing meet where I had the opportunity to watch all of the outstanding performances in person. This was a meet where records were set, dreams came true, and a community of passionate track & field fans fueled the athletes to performances that some never thought they could reach. The Hayward Magic was truly made apparent for the entire 6 day meet. There will be many more performances from this meet making their mark in upcoming TFCC Moments, but for this week, my hat goes off to 19 year old Wilhelm Belocian of France who set a new World Junior Record in the men’s 110m hurdles. With a time of 12.99 seconds, Belocian  became the first Junior athlete to break below the 13 second barrier in the 110m hurdle race. It was truly a magnificent spectacle to behold as the Frenchman crossed the line, pure joy on his face, knowing that he had won the race. When his official time was posted on the screen, Wilhelm was at a loss for words and just amazed that he had made this mark on track & field history.

WATCH WILHELM BREAK THE WORLD JUNIOR RECORD HERE

Congratulations to this week’s TFCC Moments selections! These were some incredible races and meets to watch and follow!

Please continue to check back on Track&FieldLife for more Track & Field/Cross Country Moments of the Week!

TFCC Moment of the Week #2: July 14-20

This summer has provided some very exciting track & field despite the fact that it is a non-Olympic, non-(professional) World Championship year! From high school state championships to the NCAA championships to the USA Championships to the Diamond League, the track action has not disappointed.

As the week progressed and the many meets began to roll by, there were many performances that stuck out as contenders for Track & Field Life’s Moment of the Week. Eventually, my selection became narrowed down to three, all of which coming out of the Glasgow Diamond League meet that took place on July 11-12 this weekend. One of such moments was Ashton Eaton taking second place in front of Olympic gold and silver medalists in the 400m hurdles with a personal best time of 48.69. Is there anything Eaton can’t do??? Another moment that stood out was the return of the 800m king, David Rudisha, as he stomped a stacked field to win with a world lead-tying time of 1:43.34.  While both of these races were outstanding performances and a ton of fun to watch, there was only one race that could be chosen for the TFCC Moment of the Week, and that came from Colorado grad and New Balance athlete, Emma Coburn.

This weekend in Glasgow, Emma set a new American Record in the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 9:11.42! The time brought down the 2009 AR of 9:12.50 set by Coburn’s teammate and mentor, Jenny Simpson. The two athletes, since becoming teammates, have formed a great friendship and Simpson was happy to see Coburn break her record.

Emma ran a very tough race as she tucked in behind the rabbit from the gun and led the entire race until Ethiopian, Hiwot Ayalew, passed Coburn with 250m to go. Emma responded and passed Ayalew just before the water barrier. Coming out of the water, Ayalew and Coburn were even, but Hiwot Ayalew turned on the burners and had to run a World Leading time of 9:10.64 in order to beat Emma and take first in the race. All of the attention, though, was on Emma Coburn as she crossed the line and instantly knew she had broken the American Record as her time of 9:11.42 displayed on the big screen.

Having worked so hard, an emotional Emma Coburn said it was a tough race as she was running by herself for most of the race, the same way she had had to run by herself the week before at the Paris Diamond League meet, but was beyond ecstatic to have finally broken the American Record with all of her family there to watch.

Congrats to Emma Coburn! Check back next Monday on Track&FieldLife for another TFCC Moment of the Week!

 

 

Track & Field/Cross Country Moment of the Week #1: July 7-13

Hey there folks! Welcome to my first Track & Field/Cross Country (TFCC) Moment of the Week!

Every week from here on out, I will try to find an outstanding moment from recent track & field or cross country history to post on Track & Field Life. I cannot guarantee that every post will be from a super recent meet or a meet that happens the week of the post because, frankly, there are so many great track & field and cross country moments out there that the older ones still deserve their moment in the spot light! That being said, let’s get down to it.

Our TFCC Moment of the Week this week comes to us from Eugene, Oregon, Tracktown, USA. The USA Outdoor Junior Track & Field Championships were held at Historic Hayward field this last weekend on July 5-6, and there were so many great races, jumps, and throws to choose from in this meet that this surely was a difficult choice. Surely, though, one had to stand out above the others, and sure enough, one did.
The women’s 200m final at the USA Junior Championships is our standout TFCC Moment this week, and for good reason. Running in lane 6, after setting a new female high school best and fifth fastest American Junior time in 100m with a time of 11.10 seconds, Kaylin Whitney of Clermont, FL, stormed out of the blocks to take an immediate lead on the field as she rounded the curve seemingly tearing up track with every stride. As she shot into the straightaway, it was clear to see that she had the field beat and a record on hand. Whitney crossed the line in a blazing 200 meter time of 22.49 seconds! Whitney dropped to her knees and pumped her fists in excitement as she gazed upon the big green results screen at Hayward immediately after she finished her race. Kaylin had set a new World Youth (15-17) record time with her 22.49 second effort and, oh yeah, she is just a sophomore in high school. Let me type that again, A SOPHOMORE GIRL IN HIGH SCHOOL RAN A 22.49 SECOND 200 METER DASH! That is incredible.

After all of her accomplishments this past weekend, it is clear to see that Kaylin Whitney has earned her place as Track & Field Life’s first TFCC Moment of the Week!

To watch the video of Kaylin’s race click the picture or on USATF.TV

 Image courtesy: Oregon14

Here Comes Pendleton 2013

Please enjoy a video made for the Pendleton High School track team for their district meet in 2013:

Here Comes Pendleton 2013 

Tunnel Vision

“Take your marks”,
And you breathe deep,
This moment, this day, right now,
The reason for your lack of sleep.

“Set” soon departs,
The starter’s dry lips,
Straighten your knees,
Ignore the pain in your hips.

Before you begin,
You have a last thought,
You will not be beaten, defeated,
You cannot be caught.

“Bang!” it echoes,
The sound of the gun,
Quick as a Cobra’s strike,
You begin to run.

Find your pace,
At just the right speed,
To stay up with the leader,
That’s what you need.

The next corner,
Comes soon enough,
Life’s now giving you lemons,
The going is getting tough.

Push and push,
The last stretch to go,
Darkness begins to bind your vision,
Fatigue is starting to show.

The crowd’s noise,
Begins to fade away,
The finish line, all you can see,
You will not stray.

At the end,
Tunnel vision sets in,
You will use it to your advantage,
You will use it to win.

Hands on knees,
You’ve finished the race,
The darkness crawls away,
And you find out your place.

You have won,
You did not quit,
You used that tunnel vision,
To tough it out, you’ve done it.

Every runner knows that feeling. In the final one hundred meters of a race, as the lactic acid seeps through your legs, you breath has grown rapid, you want more than anything just to finish. It always in these last hundred meters, after an all-out effort, that everything but the finish line has faded to black and the noise of your teammates and the fans has dulled to a faint hum. Many a trackster have taken to calling this Tunnel Vision, and many a trackster have given in to its fatiguing effects.
Once upon a time I had a coach that taught me that this Tunnel Vision is not necessarily bad, it means you have worked hard, and ran harder. You know your goal is in sight and that you are almost there. You just need to use this Tunnel Vision to stay focused on the finish line, and work just that much harder to make it there.
In most of my races where I have renewed a personal best time, I can hardly remember the final one hundred to one hundred and fifteen meters of the race. I knew this was because I had run harder and faster then ever before.
Tunnel Vision: Stay focused on your goals, and you will achieve them.

Image courtesy dailychristianinspiration.com.

All It Takes Is A Little Motivation

Well folks. I’ve sure been out of the blogging game for a while. I’m missing my time of being able to sit down and right about my passion for such great sports. For the past couple of months I have been incredibly busy coordinating and coaching the Track program for the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis and I must say it has been the adventure of a lifetime. There have been ups and downs and twists and turns, but all in all, I could not be more proud of how my youngsters have been doing on and off of the track. This has been an experience I would not trade for anything. Due to the busy-ness of all of this, I have fallen behind in my other passion of writing. So I decided to sit down and give myself a little motivation, because sometimes that is all it takes. The following story was not written by me and I could not find the original author of the piece, but found several sources claiming it is from Family Times. My father used to read this story in talks at church and sometimes when he felt our family needed a little extra motivation. The following is my favorite poem/sermon of all time and has been for many years. I believe it holds a special place in my heart due to my love of Track & Field and Cross Country, but it also holds true to life in general. I hope you all enjoy this and find a little extra motivation to put toward whatever you may need. This piece is entitled “The Race”.

“Quit!” “Give up, you’re beaten,” they shout and plead
there’s just too much against you now, this time you can’t succeed.
And as I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
And hope refills my weakened will as I recall that scene,
for just the thought of that short race rejuvenates my being.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their fathers watched from off the side, each cheering for his son,
and each boy hoped to show his dad that he would be the one.
The whistle blew and off they went, young hearts and hopes of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, his dad was in the crowd,
was running near the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field across a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought to win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his hands, flew out to brace,
and mid the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
So, down he fell and with him hope, he couldn’t win it now.
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs, he slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But, in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face,
that steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last,
if I’m going to gain those yards, he thought, I’ve got to run real fast.
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight or ten,
but trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye,
there’s no sense running anymore—three strikes I’m out—why try’
The will to rise had disappeared, all hope had fled away,
so far behind, so error prone, closer all the way.
“I’ve lost, so what’s the use,” he thought, “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low. “Get up and take your place.
You were not meant for failure here, get up and win that race.”
With borrowed will, “Get up,” it said, “you haven’t lost at all,
for winning is not more than this; to rise each time you fall.”
So, up he rose to run once more, and with a new commit,
he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran as though to win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered the winning runner as he crossed, first place;
head high and proud and happy—no falling, no disgrace.
but, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, last place,
the crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
And now when things seem dark and hard and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
“Quit!” “Give up, you’re beaten,” they still shout in my face,
but another voice within me says, “GET UP AND WIN THAT RACE.”

Thank you all! Be looking for my blogs again, starting this upcoming Sunday.
Shout out to all of you out there in TRACK NATION!

Benjamin Bradley

My Track Heroes: A Memorial…

There are probably not many of you who read this blog that have ever heard of or have known My Track Hero in this special edition of the series. He was not an elite athlete, Olympian, or collegiate runner, but his inspiration still fuels my fire for the love of track & field as much or even more so than every other athlete I have featured in My Track Heroes series. The man I am profiling this week was a dear friend, not only to me, but to just about anyone who had ever had the chance to meet him. In every part of his life, he lived with an infectious smile on his face which he spread to every person in his presence.

Robert Kyle Burnside, known by his middle name Kyle, was probably one of the biggest goofballs you could ever meet. No matter where he was or what he was doing, he could make you laugh. This especially was true in every track practice I had ever experienced with Kyle. Whether he was cracking jokes, playing pranks on the coaches, or leading the team in warm-ups wearing nothing but bright pink booty shorts and a tank top that was far too small, Kyle was spreading laughter each and every day. But when it was time to come down to business, time to run, that is exactly what Kyle would do, run like the wind.

Being a year older than me, I had not had much of a chance to get to know Kyle before our high school years together. I had known he and his twin brother, Darren, in middle school but had not started to bond with either of them until my freshman year. It was during this year that I had the privilege to train alongside Kyle for the 800. Man, was he fast?! Instantly, Kyle had taken me under his wing during our long distance training sessions and taught me so much just from being able to watch and compete by his side. With flawless running form and a crazy long stride, Kyle took to the track like a bird to flight. Kyle aided my coaches in teaching me everything I needed to know about the sport, I had been running for years before hand, but made amazing strides under the sophomore’s tutelage. Of course, the teachings did not come without a price. Being the new guy in the long distance crew, Kyle and our friends would always give me a hard time and joke around with how small I was or how I was the fresh meat for our coach, Nicole, to pick on. On several occasions the distance crew would pick me up and place me into the empty trash cans or lockers in our gym before practices would be begin; I would then have to sit and listen to our pre-workout announcements from my seat in the garbage can. I took it all in good stride and Kyle and our friends would later laugh about all of our pre-workout hi-jinks as we kept tradition with other freshman.

As we ran through our high school years, Kyle and I both started running the quarter mile. In a 400 meter race Kyle’s senior year, the first race of his that whole season, Kyle went down with an Achilles tendon tear with only 110 meters to go in the race. Our entire team was so excited to see just how fast he could run the quarter and was on track for a sub 50 second time. Our team became intensely quiet and worried about our good friend when he went down in that race. As Kyle was assisted in walking back to our team, he turned to me and said with a smile, “Well buddy, looks like you and my brother will have to lead the team to state. I’ll be rooting for you.” By “the team” he was mainly talking about our 4×400 meter relay team and I knew. The four of us who were supposed to be on it that year were like brothers. Unfortunately, we missed out on our chance at state by two places. At Kyle’s graduation that year, he told me he would still be rooting for me the next season. Nearly every day I had seen Kyle after that he would ask me if I had broken 53 seconds in the 400 meter yet. When that happened he would ask if I had broken 52. Then 51. Then 50. My senior year, our 4×400 meter team made it to the state championships in Eugene and Kyle was probably the most excited person as I told him we had made it to TrackTown USA.

If you were to ask any teammate of Kyle’s that ever had the good fortune of being able to compete alongside this incredibly gifted, hilarious, and good-natured young man about a memory they have shared with him on or off the track, a smile will instantly pop up and they would have too many from which to pick.
Robert Kyle Burnside was too early taken from this world, his friends, family, teammates, and every one else who had the amazing opportunity to meet him by a car accident on August 2, 2010. Ever since that tragic day I have wanted to celebrate the memory of this dear, dear friend of mine and have just not been sure how to do so. To immortalize him in this blog series and spread his memory to all of you track & field fans out there has given me the perfect opportunity. Everyone who has ever known Kyle miss him more and more as time goes by and I know he is looking down on us and wishing the best for us all. I can still hear him asking how my 400m progress is coming. The next time I win a race will be for him. You are truly missed and loved by us all Kyle. You were a great friend and even greater inspiration.

Robert Kyle Burnside, 21, was born in Portland, Oregon, on December 1, 1988. He is survived by his parents, Rob and Ann, his sister Tara, brother Darren, and grandparents Joan Burnside, and Darrell and Bev Keating, and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Robert Dean Burnside. Love ya, Kyle. Thanks for helping me come to love a sport that has been one of the biggest passions in my life.

My Track Heroes: In Lane 1…

The first hero in lane 1 is, yep, you guessed it folks, Steve Prefontaine. Of course it is Pre, how could it be anyone else? The man is a running legend whose story is told the world over. Pre painted a picture when he ran, he set his sights on being the best and would never stop. His story is one that we have all heard and celebrated many times. Races are run in this man’s honor, track clubs are named for him, he even has movies about his life and running career, both of which ended far too soon. Having only lived to the age of 24, Steve Prefontaine grew from small town kid who discovered a love for running, to an internationally renowned running phenomenon.

“A race is a work of art people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they’re capable of understanding” is one of many, many quotes from Pre. Another of these, probably the most famous quote of his, is “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”. This quote can be read on T-shirts, bags, shoes, shorts, sweats, Facebook pages, literally anything that can be attached to a runner, track athlete, cross country athlete, coaches, etc. “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”; Straight from the mind of Steve Prefontaine and he put those words into action every single time he ran. Pre was known for his talent, but more so, his will, determination, and guts to go out into a race and run his heart out.

Prefontaine attended Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, Oregon, where set a national high school record in the two mile, and went on to break 19 more national high school records in track. At one point in his short life, Pre held the U.S. records in every long distance event from the 2k to the 10k. He truly is an inspiration to runners of any background, demographic, age, gender, any runner or athlete or person period. Pre inspires us still to this day because of his will, determination, guts, and his drive to be the absolute best. He is the epitome of never giving up, reaching for your goals, and breaking through that proverbial wall and running through the pain. Pre painted us all a picture to tell us that when you set your mind to something, you reach deep down within yourself and find the strength to make it happen.

Now as I told you all, Lane 1 in My Track Heroes is being shared with Pre. But who could possibly stand next to Pre in a ranking of track & field heroes and legends? Who else can even come close to being as monumental as him? Let me tell you who…

Also in lane 1, the ultimate heroes of the running world, are all of YOU. That’s right ladies and gentleman. Each and every one of you are at the pinnacle of my list of track & field, cross country, and running heroes. I applaud each and every one of you every day for being so passionate about an amazing sport, which unfortunately takes the backseat to others much of the time. You are all heroes for going out there and running, jumping, or throwing even when the training can be absolutely draining or painful. Thank you all for being crazy and continuing what you do even when others say, “How can you possibly enjoy running as a sport?” or “All you do is throw something?” or “You just have to jump as high or as far as you can? That sounds easy.” When these things are said, we just shrug and answer by putting ourselves through more demanding training sessions than those people could even imagine. It is all of us in RUNNER NATION or JUMPER NATION or THROWER NATION who make the sports of track & field and cross country the insanely fun and passionate sports that they are today. Whether you are an elite, amateur, high school, collegiate, youth, or any kind of athlete, you are making this sport possible. It is all of the runners, throwers, jumpers, officials, coaches, athletic trainers, and just straight up running enthusiasts who make our sports what they are today. So keep on running, jumping, and throwing, because honestly, there is no way anyone will be able to make you stop.

There it is folks. The final segment of My Track Heroes series is complete. Thank you all for reading and I have thoroughly enjoyed taking a closer look at some of my favorite athletes from my favorite sports of all time. It was difficult for me to choose this list because as I said, every track & field and cross country athlete, and runner in general are a hero of mine. Next week will be a special edition of My Track Heroes in memory of a young man and runner who touched the lives of not only myself, but an entire community as well who will forever be missed. Join me next week for My Track Heroes: A Memorial…

My Track Heroes: In Lanes 3 and 2…

In lane 3, a King in the Quarter, Baylor University graduate, and Olympic medalist, Jeremy Wariner. Ever since I began running the 400 meter as a sophomore in high school, Wariner has been a runner I have always looked up to. I would study his races and running form, tried to emulate how he did things in practice the next day, go home, and repeat. Wariner is exciting to watch in every race he runs because you never know if/when he will be breaking the 400 meter world record, still held by Jeremy’s agent, Michael Johnson. Wariner is a man that any sprinter, of any age, can idolize. The quarter miler strives not only to be the best 400 meter runner of this generation, but the most decorated quarter miler in the history of the event. He craves championships. Once Wariner’s eyes are set on a prize, he gives his all to get there.

The stats: Wariner was a high school state champion in Texas in the 200 and 400 meter sprints. After enrolling at Baylor, Jeremy instantly became a collegiate sprint star. (From Wariner’s website) Jeremy Wariner is the only athlete to ever win the following in the same year: Gold medals at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the 400m and 4x400m relay, gold at the US Olympic Trials in the 400m, and gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens in the 400m and 4x400m relay. Since then, Wariner has won 5 gold medals (3 in the 4×4, 2 in the 400) at World Championships and a silver in the 400 at a World Championship, a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Wariner’s personal best time of 43.45 seconds in the 400m is a mere .27 seconds behind Michael Johnson’s world record of 43.18 seconds. Jeremy’s personal best is the third fastest of all-time.

Unfortunately, due to a plague of injuries, not much has been seen of Wariner since 2008. He ran quite a few races in 2010/2011, but none were near his best. I have high hopes that we will all be seeing Wariner’s return in full effect in this Olympic year. We can all hope that come July/August we will be watching Wariner sprinting his way to gold yet again.

In lane 2, it could be none other than Jeremy Wariner’s mentor and agent, Michael Johnson, once thought to be the fastest man in the world. Johnson is a man that I have heard/read about and admired for what seems like my entire life. The sprinting sensation was an American hero in the Nineties being titled, “the world’s fastest man”. Johnson has been an idol for sprinters around the globe for about two decades now. As I would study tapes of how Wariner raced, I would do the same with Michael Johnson. Both men are/were extremely talented sprinters and can teach other runners so much even if it is merely by watching them on film. Michael Johnson is without a doubt, one of the greatest track athletes of all-time.

The stats: Johnson won 4 gold medals in 3 different Olympic games, 1 in the 4x400m relay in Barcelona in ‘92, 2 in the ‘96 Atlanta Games in the 200m and 400m, and 1 in the 400m at 2000 games in Sydney. World Championships: Johnson won gold in the 200m in ‘91, golds in the 4x400m relay and 400m in ‘93, golds in all three events in ‘95, gold in the 400m in ‘97, and gold in the 400m in ‘99. In 2004, Johnson was elected to the U.S. Track & Field Hall of Fame and his 200 meter race at the ‘96 Olympic Games was named the greatest track & field moment in the last 25 years. Johnson still holds the world record in the 400m at 43.18 seconds and in the 4x400m relay at 2 minutes 54.29 seconds.

Not only is Michael Johnson an amazing 400m runner, arguably the best of all time, but he is a stand-up guy as well. Michael Johnson voluntarily returned his 4x400m relay Olympic gold medal from the 2000 games in Sydney because he believed it was not earned fairly. On August 2, 2008, the International Olympic Committee stripped the 2000 Olympics U.S. 4x400m relay team of their gold medals because Johnson’s teammates Antonio Pettigrew, Alvin and Calvin Harrison, and preliminary round runner Jerome Young all admitted to or were tested positive for performance-enhancing supplements and some were involved in the BALCO scandal. Johnson never was or has been implicated in any drug scandal. He is also an amazing person for willingly giving up an Olympic gold medal because he knew it had not been won fairly. Kudos Mr. Johnson, that is why you are a hero to so many.

My Track Heroes: In Lane 5 and 4…

The Track Heroes in lanes 5 and 4 are the epitome of the term “Hero”. Both have overcome, and continue to overcome, adversity and pursue their dream and put their all into everything for which they strive. Both have celebrated great success and suffered from great obstacles. In lane 5…

South African runner, Oscar Pistorius. “The fastest man on no legs” has made amazing strides in the sport of Track & Field. What amazed me when I first heard of Pistorius were the accomplishments and times he posts while running with two prosthetic legs. This man is a truly gifted and determined human-being. It is easy to say that any disabled athlete deserves the utmost respect, and Oscar Pistorius has gone above-and-beyond what many able-bodied runners could ever wish to accomplish. Pistorius suffered a double-leg amputation before his first birthday, having been born with congenital absence of the fibula in both legs. Regardless, Pistorius went on to compete in rugby, water polo, tennis, and wrestling as he grew up. After suffering a knee injury in 2003, he was introduced to running in rehab and the rest is history. Oscar is the world record holder in the 100m, 200m, and 400m in the T44 sporting class, which identifies T44 eligible athletes as, “Single leg below knee amputation. Combined lower plus upper limb amputations. Ambulant with moderately reduced function in one or both lower limbs.”

The stats: Pistorius has world records in the T44 sporting class in the 100m, running 10.91 seconds in  2007 at the Nedbank Championships for the Physically Disabled, 200m, running 21.58 seconds at the same meet the next day, and a 47.49 second 400m at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, but also a 45.07 second personal best at an able-bodied meet in Lignano, Italy, qualifying for the 2011 World Championships in Daegu and hitting the A Standard for the 2012 Olympic Games. In Daegu that same year, Pistorius qualified for the semi-final in the 400m with a time of 45.39s in the prelim round, but did not quite make it to the finals. He assisted the 4x400m relay squad in running a national record setting performance of 2 minutes, 59.21 seconds and making it to the finals, but was not selected for running in the final heat in which the South African relay team took a silver medal.

Pistorius runs using J-shaped prosthetics known as the “Cheetah Flex-Foot” made by Icelandic company Ossur. Oscar has battled much adversity and criticism in that he has been challenged that his prosthetics give him an advantage over able-bodied athletes who do not use equipment such as prosthetics, wheels, etc. Yet, Oscar Pistorius has overcome such obstacles and sets his sights on running for South Africa in the 2012 London Olympics and becoming one of the greatest sprinters of all times.

Much of what inspires me about Oscar Pistorius are not the accolades and records he has accumulated, but more so his drive, will, and determination to become one of the greatest track athletes of all time despite the fact that he had a double-leg amputation between his knees and ankles. Anyone can look up this accomplished track runner with no legs and be inspired to become something great themselves. Good luck to you and your future goals and aspirations, Mr. Pistorius.

In lane 4, U.S. hurdling inspiration and go-getter, Lori “Lolo” Jones. Lolo has been hurdling adversity and life obstacles since she was a young girl. Jones’ mother often held two jobs in order to support her family of six, while her father was either in the Air Force or prison for most of her young life. Lolo and her family once had to live in the basement of a church in Des Moines. When Jones’ family decided to make a move to Forest City, Iowa, Lolo did not want to go to a city where there was no track because she wanted to pursue her dream. In her time at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Lolo lived with four different families. Lolo Jones attended Louisiana State University where she received silver medals in the 100m hurdles and 4x100m relay in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2002, a gold medal in the 60m hurdles at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold in the 4x100m relay at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships, silver in the 60m hurdles and 60m dash at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships, gold in the 100m hurdles outdoor at the NCAA Mideast Region Championships, SEC Championships, and the Penn Relays, and gold in the 4x100m relay at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Lolo’s pro stats: Jones got sixth place in the 100m hurdles in 2007 at the World Outdoor championships in Osaka, Japan. In 2008, Lolo took first in the 60m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, seventh place in the 100m hurdles at the Olympics in Beijing, China, after stumbling on her second to last hurdle, and a second place in the World Athletics Final in the 100m hurdles in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2010, Jones defended her World Indoor Championship in the 60m hurdles.

Jones has recently recovered from surgery to repair her tethered spine. Before the surgery, Lolo could barely walk without feeling severe pain. Now, Jones is back and ready to compete. She won the 50m hurdles at the U.S. Open earlier this year and still has her sights set on the 2012 London Olympics. My money is on Lolo to get there and accomplish great things in the future. She is the epitome of an amazing athlete and an amazing person. A phoenix arisen from the ashes of her difficult childhood, and phoenix beginning her rise from the ashes of a risky spine surgery. Lolo Jones is an iconic figure to runners, hurdlers, men, and women all over the world. Also, she’s pretty easy on the eyes as well. I have no doubt we will all be seeing her on the Olympic track in London this summer. Get it Lolo.