One of the things I enjoy most about the Olympics is the athletes’ personal stories. It’s so interesting to learn about who they are, the obstacles they’ve faced and how they persevered to achieve their dreams.
One of the athletes we’ve been following during the Summer 2012 Olympics is Lolo Jones, a track athlete. Several months ago, ESPN aired a story on her, and it was so interesting our family immediately became fans. What an inspiring story she has, and what a great role model she is for young women!
Jones was raised by a single mother, and within eight years she attended eight different schools. At one point she had to live in a Salvation Army Church basement with her family in Des Moines, Iowa. Entering high school, Jones told her mother she couldn’t move again because she wanted to pursue her track dream.
Jones lived with several families during her high school years and excelled in school and track. During the Beijing Olympics finals, she was favored to win in the hurdles but tripped and came in 7th.
Can you imagine training your whole life for this one event, this one moment, and if everything isn’t perfect, it’s over? But Jones never gave up. She continued training, working hard and moving forward, not looking back. Now she will compete again.
Jones shows us there are no excuses not to get what you want. She overcame challenges that most of us haven’t had to face.
Set your goals, follow your dreams, persevere””and never give up.
Southern States Championships top contender Melissa Transou, a figure competitor, wife and mother, blogs about the unique sports nutrition needs of female athletes exclusively for Vitacost.com.