"The 2020(1) Olympic Trials was my 3rd trials and in a new event. I made the 2012 Olympic team in the heptathlon and I placed 5th at the 2016 trials in the heptathlon with a personal record. In 2016 I decided to retire from the heptathlon, but I wasn't done with track and field and decided to focus on just javelin.  

I made it to the finals at the Olympic trials this year, in a new event and placed 8th overall. You do not hear of athletes just switching to new events and succeeding. I was very happy to make it that far, but I was not satisfied with my performance. I knew there was a very small chance of making the Olympic team this year, but I still wanted to show up at trials and throw my best." 

"This year I got a new coach 5 months before trials and he wanted me to forget what I "knew" about javelin and learn things all over. I trusted him and went down this route, but not without a lot of tears. It was hard to know I was improving, but the improvements were not showing up all the time in training or even meets, so I had a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but had to believe in myself and the process.

I went backwards to go forward this season. I threw 3.5 meters further than I ever have overall. Without throwing what I know is there, I left trials with thoughts of how to tweak my program for the next season, for our Worlds competition and even the Olympics again in 3 years."