Track & Field

Have you ever taken a risk where it really paid off?

Risk pays off: Olympian's leap of faith reaps Olympic glory

Have I ever taken a risk that really paid off? Yes, indeed I have. Back in 2016, as I was getting ready for the Olympic trials to try to make my first Olympic team, at the time I was training at my alma mater, Penn State, where I had just graduated in December of 2015. At this point, it was about March, and I was in my training and something was off. I was having some technical issues. I wasn't really feeling like I was getting to where I needed to go. And I reached out to a world-renowned coach, Art Vanegas, who was coaching another one of our Penn State graduates, who was one of the best shoppers in the world at the time. And I explained to him my problem. I said, listen, I keep hitting the toe board. Things just aren't connecting, man. Can you help me? And he said, yeah, I can help you. I said, listen, don't tell me that, because if you say you can help me, I'll get on a plane and I'll be out there Monday. He said he could help me. I was only supposed to be out there for two weeks. At this point, it's the middle of April. After my two weeks was up, I said, this is where I need to be, man. I think I'm gonna stay here and just try to train here all the way up until Olympic trials. The Olympic trials are July 1st. And I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't really have much money. I just came out of school, like literally had like $250 in my bank account. But I'll say all this to say, I went to the Olympic trials, had a two-foot personal best, big breakout performance, and I qualified for my first Olympic team. So take that risk.

In 2016, I took a risk and moved to another city to work with a world-renowned coach on my shooting technique in preparation for the Olympic trials. The risk paid off and I had a two-foot personal best which qualified me for my first Olympic team.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/yjtesijwrlvum2q6dlxz.vtt

Have I ever taken a risk that paid off? Absolutely. In 2016, as I prepared for the Olympic trials to make my first Olympic team, I was facing technical issues in my training. Feeling stuck, I reached out to renowned coach Art Vanegas, who was coaching another successful athlete from my alma mater, Penn State.

I explained my problem to Art, expressing my frustration and asking for help. When he confirmed that he could assist me, I made a bold decision. I told him that if he could help me, I would get on a plane and be there by Monday. He assured me that he could indeed help.

Originally, I planned to stay with Art for just two weeks. However, by the middle of April, I realized that this was the right place for me. I made the decision to continue training with him until the Olympic trials, which were scheduled for July 1st.

At that point, I didn't have much money. I had just graduated from school and had around $250 in my bank account. But despite the uncertainty, I took the risk and committed to training with Art.

The outcome? At the Olympic trials, I achieved a personal best by two feet and had a breakthrough performance. As a result, I qualified for my first Olympic team.

This experience taught me the value of taking risks and following my instincts, even when the path is uncertain. Sometimes, those risks can lead to incredible rewards.

Darrell Hill answers your Track & Field questions. See all the advice Darrell Hill has and get answers to your own Track & Field questions.

Follow me on AnyQuestion

Darrell Hill is an American track and field athlete and Nike-sponsored competitor. Hill won the US Shot Put title at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and holds the Penn State school record indoors at 20.51 m (67 ft 3+1⁄4 in). Joe Kovacs holds the outdoor record 21.02 m (68 ft 11+1⁄2 in) just ahead of Hill's 20.86 m (68 ft 5+1⁄4 in). On July 1, 2016, at the 2016 Olympic Trials, Hill threw a new personal best of 21.63 m (70 ft 11+1⁄2 in) to finish third and qualify for the 2016 Olympics.  He trained with USOC coach Art Venegas through 2017 and is now coached by Ryan Whiting of Desert High Performance in Phoenix, Arizona. Hill previously competed for the University of Houston during his freshman year before transferring to Penn State University. He placed fourth in the 2012 USA Junior Track and Field Championships at the University of Indiana, Bloomington.