By Rich Chrampanis
Monmouth University graduate Allie Wilson will represent the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 800 meters after finishing second at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Oregon. The Two River Times caught up with Wilson before she headed to France to talk about her journey, the pressure of running in one race that would decide her fate, and how that will help her when she goes against the world’s best.
The Two River Times: Your journey to becoming an Olympian included overcoming injury, not being sponsored and even working as a nanny. What inspired you to keep going to see your dream come true?
Allie Wilson: Being an athlete, especially at this level, inevitably involves facing hardships. We push our bodies and minds to the limit every day, constantly walking a very fine line. I’ve always known that, despite my efforts, I might not achieve my ultimate goal. However, I also knew that the only way to find out was to give it my all. If I did my best and still fell short, I could still take pride in the effort and dedication I put into becoming the best athlete I could be.
TRT: You originally hail from the Delaware County area of Pennsylvania. You trained in Indiana and had a fantastic college career at Monmouth University. What will it feel like to have support from so many different places when you compete in Paris?
Wilson: One of my favorite parts about my running career so far has been the opportunity to live in and explore so many different places. Whether for college, training or racing, running has allowed me to spread my wings and see parts of the world I might never have experienced otherwise. Along the way, I’ve met incredible people and felt immense support from everyone in my life. It’s wonderful to have connections with people from various states and cities who share in my journey and can feel like they’re a part of it, too.
TRT: The stakes were so high in the Olympic trials and you delivered a tremendous finish to clinch your Olympic berth. Will that help you handle the pressure when you race in front of the world?
Wilson: Championship races always come with higher stakes. Normally, we race to win or to run fast times. However, at the Olympic Trials, we are racing for a chance at everyone’s ultimate goal. Only three of us will achieve it, and this opportunity only comes around every four years. With an athlete’s career being relatively short, we only get so many shots at making an Olympic team. I used to feel like I made more mistakes in championship races than in regular ones because I made it out to be more than it was. After I won the indoor championships in February, I realized that I could compete at my best even at the highest level. It taught me that despite the higher stakes, it’s fundamentally the same thing we always do and I just had to treat it that way. It’s easy for athletes to feel weighed down by the pressures of what we are trying to accomplish, so I just focused on staying as relaxed as possible, competing hard, and seeing what I could do. I believe this mindset will be crucial for me in Paris. This is what I’ve always trained for, but at the end of the day, it’s still just two laps around the track.
TRT: What message do you have for young athletes who have already been inspired by your journey?
Wilson: 1. Always try to keep learning and improving, you can never know enough!
2. Do things that help you enjoy the process. I have learned that a happy Allie is a fast Allie. So surround yourself with people that make you want to be your best every day.
3. Keep going! There have been so many points in my career where I didn’t improve for years at a time, have dealt with injuries (and) setbacks and have had some extremely low points. But there has never been a successful athlete or person who did not deal with difficult things in their career (and) life. In these moments, I always remind myself of how, in any great story, there is always a really tough chapter before the happy ending. Hardships will make for a better story when you are on the other side of it, so don’t be too hard on yourself and just do the best you can in any given situation!
TRT: What part of the Olympic experience are you looking forward to the most, beyond the competition?
Wilson: I am most looking forward to the opening ceremonies – especially the outfits! – being surrounded by amazing athletes from all over the world and soaking up racing on the biggest stage there is in this sport. This is a moment I have dreamed of for so long, I want to make each time I step on that track with the ‘USA’ across my chest count.
The article originally appeared in the July 18 – 24, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
