Track and field competitors from ECU remember their hard work at the 2024 Olympic Trials.
WITN, GREENVILLE, N.C. The Summer Olympics in 2024 are rapidly approaching, and some Eastern sportsmen are looking forward to the games with mixed emotions.
For Melicia Mouzzon and Sydni McMillan, two ECU track and field competitors, qualifying for the Olympic Trials is a dream come true.
Assistant track and field coach at ECU, Udon Cheek, remarks, “It’s impressive, but the thing is, they planned for this.” They planned for it, they journaled about it, they put it in writing, and they regularly admitted it. That’s what they told me they wanted at the start of the season. They didn’t just sling words at the wall, hoping they might strike it, but they
truly made the effort.”
The two participated in races such as the 100-meter hurdles and sprint.
“I just like seeing all the pros,” McMillan remarks. “It was honestly the most relaxed I’ve felt at any of my races, but of course it was serious because we worked so hard for it.”
Additionally speaking to WITN, Mouzzon said, “That’s been my dream since I was a kid and honestly, I did not know how I was going to get there but I just put my faith in God and put my faith in Coach Cheek.”
Hard labor accompanies every dream, according to McMillan. “You’re working toward it every day because even rest and recuperation play a part, so really seven days out of the week.”
According to Cheek, both the coaches’ training and the athletes’ competition require a lot of work. It is heavily reliant on posture, power, and rhythm. There’s a lot of filming and film analysis that goes into it. a connection between how to communicate it. You bring it forth, ensure that they receive it, and then, upon seeing the product, you obtain confirmation of what you already knew.
Despite their failure to make it to the Olympics in 2024, McMillan and Mouzzon claim that their experience there was only a small part of a larger plan that included preparation for their future as professional athletes.
McMillan told WITN, “I was able to be happy regardless of the outcome because I know that I was on track to do something great but there’s greater ahead.” “I learned so much in those races and I got a message from the Lord,” McMillan said.
Additionally, Mouzzon states, “It’s taught me how to work… put your head down and work, and when you look up, the results will be there.” It has also taught Mouzzon how to be patient and to trust God with everything that she has.
Mouzzon says she will be going to Florida to train and prepare to be a professional athlete, which has been a lifelong desire, as she gets ready for the next phase of her track and field career.
Coach Cheek and McMillan intend to pursue their track and field careers at ECU prior to McMillan’s master’s degree graduation.
On Friday, July 26, the Olympic Games will get underway. WITN has all the action for you to see.
