My goal for this blog is to share my experiences and reflections from my 2024 track season. I hope that by doing so, I can help at least one person feel less isolated in their journey. Truth is, the various realities of sport are so often not shared, leaving many athletes to feel alone in their struggles, and I want to change that. ❤️
About 1 year ago, I publicly reflected on the challenge of balancing life and athletics. In 2023, I made the decision to prioritize my personal life more than previous years, however in doing so, I wasn’t satisfied with my results on the track. As I looked ahead to 2024, I knew three things for sure:
I didn't want to repeat my performances from the 2023 season,
I wasn’t interested in moving again for what would be my third coaching change,
I still deeply desired to compete in one more Olympics.
At the time, it seemed impossible to have all three of those things coexist, which made me consider retiring after 2023. But my desire to go to another Olympics outweighed the desire to step away from triple jumping so I had to make a tough decision. After praying and talking to friends and family, I made the decision to go all in on track for the Olympic year, determined to leave no regrets behind. I moved away from home (again), willingly sacrificing comfort & my personal life to pursue greatness #OneLastTime. I didn’t meet my expectations, yet again, but I gave it my all.
Let’s rewind to 2022, right after the World Championships in Eugene for some context. After that season, I moved back to Atlanta from California, because I no longer wanted to be so far from my husband and friends. I knew I still wanted to compete for at least two more years, but I wasn’t sure about my coaching situation. I told myself, “You can probably average around 14.40m/47ft 2in jumps and retire as a consistent top-8 finisher at Championships.” In other words, I lowered my athletic standards, prioritized balance, and allowed myself to enjoy the last 2 years of my career while being close to the people I loved. Even though I wasn’t focused on winning a medal or jumping 15 meters, I still worked hard and pushed myself—because that’s just who I am—but I wanted to release myself from the constant internal pressure.
In 2023, with these lowered standards, I didn't meet my goals. I finished 9th at World Championships, lost my first outdoor U.S. Championship since 2015, and my triple jump average was 14.16m/46ft 5in.
Fast forward to 2024, as I mentioned earlier, I moved away from home (Atlanta) and set new goals:
Average 14.30m/46ft-10in at meets
Qualify for the Olympics
Finish top 8 at Olympics
Be proud of my results at meets
Spoiler Alert: I only achieved the goal of qualifying for the Olympics. My triple jump average was 14.12m/46ft 3in, I finished 9th in Paris, I lost outdoor nationals again & the most important goal (being proud of my results) was accomplished at only 2 meets.
To be honest, it wasn’t the losses or finishing 9th place that bothered me the most— it was underperforming. My final year of my career turned out to be my lowest triple jump average since my freshman year of college. Adjusting my goals for two consecutive years and still falling short is deeply disheartening. Sacrificing so much to improve, only to perform worse, is beyond frustrating. I don't train for fun—I train to get better. For additional perspective, the distance I jumped during the Olympic final in Paris, was actually worse than the distance I jumped to win NCAA Championship as a freshman in college, 10 years ago.🫠 I don’t think I’ve ever put so much time, energy, intentionality, and effort into accomplishing something, only to regress instead.
Even outside of track performances, specifically emotionally and personally, 2024 WASN'T IT. I have never felt the way I felt this year, and being away from my husband, family, and friends made it extremely hard to cope. I seriously contemplated quitting track and moving back home mid-year. Looking back, I 100% chose my career over myself. In the moment, it felt like the right and easiest decision, but in reality, it was extremely destructive.
The question I ask myself after a year like this is: Do I regret my decision?
There is a quote from the book Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi that I will never forget:
“There should be no room in your life for regret. If in the moment of doing you felt clarity, you felt certainty, then why feel regret later?”
I don't feel regret because I had clarity and assurance in my decision. However, I also wouldn't make the same choice again. Another quote I love, from the book Smart Women Take Risks, says “Challenges help you to know who you are, how far you're willing to go, how hard you're willing to fight, and what you're willing to put up with.” The 2024 season definitely answered those questions for me. It took time to get here, but after talking to several friends, I’ve chosen to reframe my mindset, believing that everything had to happen the way it did for me to become the woman I am today. In other words, this version of Keturah doesn’t exist without these experiences.
With all that said, here are the things I would tell KO 1 year ago heading into the 2024 season:
You are resilient. Despite the uphill battle, you will win your 10th U.S. title & qualify for your third consecutive Olympic final —something no other American woman has accomplished in the triple jump.
Choose yourself. You are worth fighting for, and you will figure it out.
We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5
Surround yourself with the people who know you, appreciate, and love you —always.
“God made you exactly as you are for a purpose only you can fulfill.” BeYou(tiful)
Grateful to be one of the best during my worst ❤️
#KOtheCOMP ✌🏾
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