Failing to Handle Pressure, Track and Field Legend Nearly Quit the Sport Long Before Her Breakthrough

Failing to Handle Pressure, Track and Field Legend Nearly Quit the Sport Long Before Her Breakthrough

Two moments. Two Eugene trials. Two vastly different outcomes. In 2012, a track and field athlete’s Olympic dream seemed to end before it ever truly began. She clocked a modest 58.46 seconds in the 400m hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials—finishing sixth in her heat and well out of contention. Just like that, her shot at London was gone. She wasn’t just heartbroken—she was ready to walk away for good. “It was really disappointing,” she recalled. …