Becoming a Nike Athlete

I was a week away from the biggest competition of my life it was the first time I was about to put on the team Canada uniform with the Nike swoosh on my chest. I was excited, nervous, and scared. I wondered If was I meant to be there representing my country, was I good enough compared to the other girls? I received an email from a team mate of mine with a link to a Nike Ad. So I clicked on it and watched. I had never watched something so inspiring and motivating in my life. It wasn’t an ad that was trying to show the best running shoes or gear it was showing failure , success, passion, strength, pain and everything that made competition what it is, and most of all it was showing me a young girl that that I could go after my dreams. I will forever remember these words.

“This is a completely different kind of test. One where passion, has a funny way of trumping logic. So before you step up to the starting line, before the whistle blows, and the clocks start ticking just remember: out here the results don't always add up. No matter what the stats may say and the experts may think and the commentators may have predicted, when the race is on, all bets are off. Don't be surprised if someone decides to flip the script….” – Nike Ad

I will never forget my first pair of Nike track and field spikes I wore. They were purple and white, I loved them and I treasured them. Every time I laced them up before a race I felt a sense of pride knowing my idols were wearing the exact same shoes. I would have never guessed when I was that little girl that one day I would be a Nike athlete too just like my idols.

Now every day I get to lace up my Nike running shoes just like I did when I was younger with that same sense of pride. Nike is not only the shoes and clothing I wear but the supporter of my goals and dreams of winning an Olympic medal for my country. The challenge of the 400 hurdles is what I love most about being a professional track athlete, every day I get to go to work on the track or in the weight room and say “how can I make myself better today”. Nike athletes may not all train together but we stand together as team Nike. I get to wear the Nike uniform just like Serena Williams, Michael Jordan and Tiger woods to name a few. This Iconic brand has transformed how we watch, think and play sports, not only is Nike motivating us to “Just do it” they are creating ground breaking product innovations. Constant innovation in their gear and technology transformations in their shoes has allowed athletes to compete at a higher level and I am honored to be one of them.