Every Moment Is Not Great And Sometimes

My Mom Always Has This Amazing Ability To Always See The Best In A Situation. In That Moment [when Finished 2nd In The 200 Meter Race In The 2008 Olympic Games] I Was Just Completely Devastated. I Mean, I Had Worked So Hard; That Was My Opportunity. And She Was Just Able To Turn It Around For Me. She Helped Me To Be Able To See The Other Side Of Things And That This Is Not The End For Me. She's Just An Amazing Supporter And An Encouraging Person And She Has A Unique Ability To Do That. And So Those Are The Kind Of Things She Said To Me In That Moment And Over The Next Four Years. When Things Get Tough, She's Always Been My Strength.

As A Female Athlete, You're Always Fighting To Be On A Level Playing Field With Your Male Counterparts. But I Believe The Olympics Is Great For Young Girls; They Get To Be Exposed To So Many Different Sports And To These Really Strong Women. It's An Opportunity To Showcase What We Do, Which Is Something That Men Get The Opportunity To Do On A Pretty Regular Basis.

The Biggest Way I Stay Motivated Is To Run With A Group Of Friends. Sometimes It's Hard To Get Going By Yourself, But If You Have A Plan And A Meeting Time, You Know This Run Will Happen For Sure. It's A Way To Have Fun - While Also Getting In A Workout. Plus It Distracts From Pain, Helps You Fight Fatigue, And Gives You That Extra Push.

For Me, My Faith Is The Reason I Run. I Definitely Feel I Have This Amazing Gift That God Has Blessed Me With, And It's All About Using It To The Best Of My Ability.

Being A Role Model Is A Privilege.