Five years ago this day I was down in Georgia, at Emory University, winning the 100m, the 200m, anchoring the gold-medal 4x100m team, and placing fifth in the 100m hurdles. The only time I ever openly celebrated the moment I crossed the line. Beating my “rival” Nyota Pieh, of Emory, who had won every year since in the three I won. Being part of an unbroken WU women’s outdoor track conference championship streak. Getting gum on the hem of my dress on the plane ride back.
In a few hours I’ll be on the road, once again on my way to Georgia, to cheer on this year’s Bears. I’m missing the WU 5-year reunion and a few friends b-day parties, but this will be worth it. I was sorely tempted to try to pick up my golden spikes (no kidding. That was the only color they had, honest) as a rallying point, but that is pretty silly. I don’t know where my medals are. I think I got them, unlike the ones from junior year outdoor UAAs…I’ll just cheer…and try to be motivational. Life is a journey, time is a river, the door is ajar, that sort of thing…
Here’s what I said the day after, all those years ago:
Well, here I am again. No more UAA competition for me.
At the risk of sounding braggish…
I now have three golds in my possession… one for the 100, one for the 200, and one for the 4×1 relay. We RULE! Lady Bears rock the planet! Or at least the UAAs. You could say I went out with a bang. Those and my fifth place finish in the hurdles. So overall (individually) I gave the team 10+10+4=24 points and the 10/4 points from the relay. Coach said the only reason I couldn’t get MOP of the meet 🙂 was that I had won it indoors. I really think I would have. No one else double golded except the girl who actually got the MOP award, in the steeple and 5K (she already won last year indoors, too, natch).
You know what? Prayer really works. I prayed before practically every race and look what happened 🙂
And one more thing… we qualified provisionally for nationals in the 4×1 🙂
Somebody up there really loves me.
Let’s go Bears!