Colleen Quigley Nike Bowerman Track Club

In Her Words

(play full video above)

Wow. This photo really brings me back. Just looking at it makes me smile. I look so happy and I was so happy. This is a moment that changed my life.

I think a lot of people would say that about the Olympic trials one way or the other. But for me, it was a really it was a big turning point.

I’m wearing my Olympic Trials 2016 T-shirt for the moment, too, just to bring back all the mem’s.

And yeah, I think I’ve changed so much since this photo. A lot of things that I believed about who I was as a track athlete or what my potential was as a track athlete have changed since then. I didn’t see myself competing after Rio. I thought if I make the team awesome and I could check the box say I’m an Olympian and then move on. And if I don’t make the team well, like I at least I tried and I gave it my best shot and then I’ll just move on.

And either way, my career as a runner would be over it after 2016. That’s what I thought and here we are four years later. I’m still running. I want to go to the next Olympic Games. I’m still sponsored by Nike and running for the Bowerman Track Club. And now I’m talking about 2024.

2028? Questionmark?

I never would have thought that in 2016 or 2015 if you had thought if you had told me that I’d be running, you know, as a career for a long time. So it’s really fun to look back on this photo and see how much my mindset has changed, how much I’ve grown, and just the athlete that I’ve become over the past four years. And it makes me really, really excited to get another chance to compete for Team USA next summer, even though we have to wait another year.

I’m willing to wait another year to get this feeling back and to hold that flag again. And, you know, be on Team USA and going to Tokyo.

I’m willing to wait another year.

I’m willing to work for another year to earn this again.