The USA Track & Field Olympics Trials would make anyone’s short list of the highest drama event in all of sports. The sudden-death form of team selection that the USA utilizes results in breathtaking drama in every event, often coming down to the last throw, last jump or final stride of the athletes.
In Whittni Morgan’s case the Trials were all that PLUS 12 more days of is-she-or-isn’t-she on the Paris team. Her’s is a unique story in sport, but also a really meaningful human experience.
Whittni and I focused on those 12 days for this interview, but this “little miracles” story clearly started back in December after Whittni suffered an untimely knee injury that required surgery. Logically knee surgery less than 7 months before the Olympic Trials would end any shot at making the Olympic team but Whittni and Coach Diljeet Taylor never ruled it out.
THE SURGERY
Step 1 in this journey for Whittni was seeking one of biggest Olympic stars ever, Eric Heiden, 5-time gold medalist and respected orthopedic surgeon, to do the knee surgery. He not only agreed and but managed to get it scheduled on the last day Whittni was still on her Mom’s health insurance plan!
“It was super cool to have Eric do my surgery. He fully understood what I was attempting to do.”
RETURN TO FITNESS
Needless to say, Whittni dove into cross training as soon as she could. She healed faster than expected but still was not able to start running until February, less than 5 months before the Trials. Whittni’s fitness progressed at a remarkable pace and she ran two solid 5Ks in May. She showed up in Eugene improbably feeling ready to give it her best.
The Trials Prelim 5K race – June 21: Whittni finishes her heat in 6th place and qualified for the final.
“Prelims are more stressful than the final. Not an easy race but I knew I could run faster. [When it came down to the last 2 laps] I was confident in my speed. I feel more like a 1500/5K person and I knew I had some juice left in the tank.”
“That said, it was a relief to get to the final.”
The Trials 5K Final – June 24: The top 4 started to pull away from Whittni with 2 ½ laps to go.
“I did not get discouraged. I have so much respect for the four women ahead of me: Elle, Karissa, Elise and Parker. I was not shocked that they pulled away. I wanted top 4 though since we knew Elle might pass [and choose to only run the 1500m if she made both teams]. I was proud of my mind-set. I was so committed and stayed hopeful throughout the entire race. I’m proud that I did not back down when I fell off the leaders. I was so tired with 300 to go, my vision was getting blurry, and I couldn’t catch Parker Valby. But I didn’t give up and hung onto that 5th spot.”
Whittni collapsed on the track at the finish
“I honestly I don’t know how long I laid there. Allie Buchalski is a friend and such a kind person. She pulled me up.”
Emotions started flooding into Whittni’s head as she walked off the track
“I felt underwhelmed. I had convinced myself that somehow I would make the team. So many little miracles had happened from the surgery to the starting line that I had built a belief from all the reassuring moments along the way. I thought that God was preparing me for the Olympics and after the race it felt like it didn’t happen. I and everyone had done everything possible to get me to that moment and it didn’t happen. I was kind of confused. I could tell that my husband and parents were trying to figure out how I felt, and it wasn’t clear to them or to me.”
“NOW it all makes sense. Like wow. My beliefs were correct.”
But Whittni didn’t know that for 12 long days
Post Race Limbo
2 days after her race – Team USA Processing
“I was encouraged to go through Team USA processing – getting fitted and making uniform choices for Paris just in case you end up going. I was hesitant and still in the “it’s not happening” stage. I thought: ‘I do not want to do this. It’ll just put salt in the wound.’ But I gave in and did it.”
“Holy cow. It was so incredible to put on that (Team USA) uniform. Made me want it SO much more. For the first half of the process I was trying to hold back tears. I thought: ‘This is what I COULD HAVE experienced.’”
“Halfway thru the process I decided to enjoy it. I’m so glad I did. My husband and I started having fun with it and took pictures. I knew I might never get to do this again or maybe somehow I’d still get to go. As an alternate you try it all on but you don’t get to take it with you. You take it all off and just walk away.”
“But as I was leaving the team processing room and I got called over to a makeup table and was encouraged to take whatever I wanted. It was nice. I filled a little bag with things like lip gloss.”
6 days after her race – Whittni watching the Trials, including the epic women’s 1500m final:
“I watched a ton of the trials after my race, including seeing my friend and training partner Courtney Wayment make the Paris steeplechase team. I saw Parker Valby run her great 10k which added some hope [that she might choose to focus on the 10K and open a spot on the 5k team].
“But watching Elle St Pierre in the 1500m was particularly emotional for me. She was so fearless and wanted it so bad. It was such an inspiring experience to watch her push that race upfront the whole way. I was actually crying as she pushed to the line to finish in the top 3. She was obviously running for herself but it was very emotional for me. Elle signaled right away that she would focus on 1500m in Paris. That was the moment when I first allowed myself to think I might be going to Paris.”
Note that 5th place meant that two people ahead of her needed to give up their spots for Whittni to be on the Paris team. After Elle’s decision Whittni needed one more miracle.
7 days after her race – Eugene airport
I met Whittni for the first time when she and Courtney Wayment sat with me in the airport as we waited for our flights. At this point Whittni did not know if Parker Valby was confirmed to be on the 10K team (due to world ranking questions) and therefore Parker was not yet able to fully consider if she would choose to only run the 10K in Paris if she qualified for the both the 5K and 10K. I could feel the hope and the stress that Whittni was experiencing.
The Waiting Game
“The waiting seemed endless.”
“Coach Taylor and Parker’s coach were communicating daily about what the decision would be, And the answer kept being “we don’t know yet”.
12 days after her race – The waiting is finally over!
“I was doing a hard tempo in my husband’s home town, a small southern Utah town, through farmlands with cows on the road. I just finished my run and was still out of breadth when Coach Taylor called. I assumed she was asking about how my workout went when she asked the “How’s your French?” question.”
“You’re going to Paris! You are an Olympian.”
It’s been crazy ever since!
“The amount of attention I’m getting is crazy but I’m OK with it. I feel like I have a story with a purpose. This has been a faith building experience for me. I want to share that this has so much more meaning than just my accomplishment. I’m happy to share it and maybe it’ll help others build their faith too. To trust in God even if something doesn’t seem to go your way. I asked for a miracle, but I was ready to accept any outcome. I did not do this myself. So many people helped and all the pieces aligned. There were so many little miracles along the way during the 7 months since the surgery.”
Whittni’s home community throws a party!
Driving to their home Whittni and her husband Mason were greeted by a police escort and guided to a community party.
“It was amazing. Really, really cool. I was so grateful to have so many people, many of whom I did not know, come out for this celebration.”
Paris
Whittni’s Paris Entourage
“I’m so excited that my husband Mason and his family, my Mom, one of my Uncles and my 2 sisters and their husbands will be joining me in Paris. I put Mason in charge of pulling together the travel, tickets and housing plan. Yes, stressful but it’s coming together, and he found a really big house for us to use there.”
Whittni’s Paris Plans and Goal
“I’ll miss the Opening Ceremony because the timing is bad for coming down from attitude, but I plan to do the Closing Ceremonies.”
“My goal is to get to the final. It’s exciting because I can feel myself getting fitter. I can feel it in my workouts. I have the intention to race the prelim like a final. No conserving, I will need to sell my soul to get to the final. I want to ‘show up’ and prove that I deserve to be there.”
I am rooting for Whittni to experience a few more little miracles in Paris!
Mark your calendars for August 2nd
My wife and I were at Bryce Canyon and happened to meet a park ranger. Their conversation somehow got running and the ranger told of Whittni’s story to Paris. Whittni’s home town was selling t-shirts to fund the family’s trip to the Olympics. Our next stop was in town to purchase two shirts, however the individual was out of town, thus we were unable and left on our voyage to Park City. As a former road race competitor I wanted to add to their support. We followed Whittni’s quest and are so proud of her accomplishments in representing herself, her town and country!