Part of being a great athlete is mastery, but imagine you had to master not one, not two, but seven (7) different sports events?
It’s called the heptathlon, and it’s both inspiring to watch and just down right jaw dropping to imagine that one athlete can take part in seven different events and excel to such a degree that he or she actually wins the entire competition. In the world of track and field, these sort of athletes are in a class all their own.
For me, heptathletes are truly amazing athletes. They seem almost super-human.
One athlete in particular that is among the best of the best, is Sharon Day-Monroe.
She is the 2011, 2013, and 2014 national heptathlon champion, She is also the 2012-2015 national indoor pentathlon champion. In addition, she is the first athlete to win four consecutive national championships in the pentathlon.
She has also won in the high jump, taking home the Gold in the Pan American Junior Championships in 2003 and the bronze in the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2004
The women’s heptathlon consists of the following events, with the first four contested on the first day, and the remaining three on day two:
I really need to put into perspective the importance of this world-class heptathalon athlete.
In order to even compete you have to be excellent at seven different events. Each being completely different and requiring completely different types of training and preparation.
That is straight up remarkable!
I am extremely excited to bring you this interview. Sharon was gracious enough to take time from her busy training schedule and sit down for this interview.
Welcome Sharon, and thank for your time and the wonderful privilege to interview you. To begin….
You are an inspiration to people all around the world, if you had to choose one person who had the biggest impact over the course of your life and that inspired you, who would that be?
My mom. She has inspired me to be an athlete since I was a little girl. She is the reason I started playing soccer when I was 9 years old. She was also a high jumper in college and post collegiately. I come from a long line of high jumpers. She has always been a pillar of strength and a positive influence in my life.
It would seem, that to manage seven events, and to compete at the level you have, winning both the Indoor US Championship and the US Championship Heptathlon many times, there seems to be a level of mental fortitude or strength that is necessary, what personality trait or important habit do you feel has greatly contributed to your success?
Having resilience and also a passion for what I am doing has kept me moving forward. I think that everyone has their individual struggles in life and you have to be able to bounce back, come back stronger and continue to progress.
In order to be successful you have to be passionate, you have to enjoy what you’re doing, enjoy the process. I love what I do and feel very blessed to be able to have a job that I love.
What advice or pearls of wisdom would you have for anyone interested in competing or training for a heptathlon?
You must have a short memory. You must have the ability to let things go. Erase the past and keep moving forward.
It is tough sometimes to move from event to event and stay focused on the current task. Whether you have a great performance and have to come down from a high or a terrible one and must dig yourself out of the dumps. You have to be ready for the next event.
What’s the most important lesson you have learned?
This ties in with the previous question. I have learned to let go and keep moving forward, don’t dwell on the past.
In one sentence or phrase how would you define success?
Knowing that you worked your absolute hardest and did your best is enough.
What was the best decision you have made?
Switching my event from high jump specialist to heptathlon. I knew that I had more to give to myself and to this sport through the heptathlon, than I ever could have through high jump.
What was the most difficult decision you had to make?
Moving away from my husband to continue to work with my current coach, was and is the most difficult decision I have made. It can be really difficult sometimes living apart from my husband, but I know that it is only temporary and it allows me the best opportunity to be the best athlete that I can be.
To clarify, when my coach moved from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles to coach at UCLA, I followed him, initially my husband was going to move down as well, but he got a great job in San Luis Obispo, (where we plan to settle once I am done competing). So now we live 3 hours from one another and see each other on weekends and holidays.
What is your happiest moment or accomplishment of your life who would that be?
This is a tough question I can think of a few.
One being the day I made my first Olympic team in 2008. The slogan that year at the Olympic trials was “the hardest team to make” and boy is that not the truest statement.
Probably the most stressful meet of my life. Being able to represent the United States at the Olympic Games is a special privilege, so to finally realize that dream was an overwhelming wash of emotion.
Another being my wedding day, a lot of the day is a big happy blur that went by way too fast. But it was filled with so much love and happiness, with each other and our family, and closest friends. It is a significant moment that timestamps the beginning of the rest of our lives.
Looking over your life thus far, is there anything you would have done differently or that you regret?
I don’t think there is anything that I regret in life, I feel lucky and thankful that I have lived the life I have so far.
I think that I could have, and still can, do more for my community and give back to others that are less fortunate.
Being an elite athlete and Olympian I think that I have an opportunity to positively impact those around me. I wish I had done more in the past to capitalize on that opportunity.
What does the future hold for Sharon Day-Monroe? How will you continue to improve and expand?
The future holds some hardware and a few more medal stand appearances! World Championships this summer and The Olympics next year in Rio!
Thanks a million, Sharon!
To learn more about Sharon Day-Monroe, check out her Facebook page.
