The Weight of the Throw

Ella Rigel bends over, picks up the handled 20-pound weight made of tungsten and winds her way through the crowd of competitors as she makes her way to the ring.

Her blonde hair is tied back in a crown of braids, and her lean muscles ripple under her jersey. She resembles an ancient Greek warrior walking into battle.

This moment has been years in the making, but right now all she thinks about is staying calm.

Rigel, a sophomore kinesiology major at Miami University, has been a competitive thrower for over half a decade and has found success at every level. From winning multiple state championships in high school to being among Miami's all-time top five throwers as a first-year student, everyone from coaches to other athletes expects her to succeed every time she steps into the ring.

Throwing is an extremely strenuous sport — physically and mentally. Rigel spends hours a day planning out her nutrition, lifting weights and perfecting her technique. It consumes her life. When she isn’t actively practicing, she’s still thinking about how she can be a little better or throw a little farther.