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Athlete, Teacher, Mom: How Joanna Atkins is Pursuing Her Passions By Kristen Eleveld
When Joanna Atkins was ten years old, she brought home a flier with information on joining the school track and field team. Her parents signed her up, and the rest was history. While Joanna remembers some ups and downs on the track and field team, what she remembers most is loving the sport – and doing it well. In fact, her skill quickly gained the attention of the professional sports community, and Joanna soon found herself sponsored by Nike as she ran races like the pro athlete she had always been. But in 2016, everything changed. Joanna, who had just welcomed her son into the world the year before, was involved in a serious car accident. She sustained multiple injuries, including brain injuries that affected her memory and speech skills, and while she eventually recovered most of her abilities, her professional running career seemed to be over. Her athletic performance was affected by her injuries, and though she managed to make it through 2017 supporting herself and her son through the grants she received from her running days, she knew that she would have to make a change. “In 2018, it was time to come home,” said Joanna, who is a Georgia native. Once back home, Joanna had to decide her next steps. Having just finished earning her master’s degree in business administration, she thought about opening a daycare. Then a friend asked her if she had ever considered teaching. While teaching had never been part of Joanna’s plan, she soon found that, as a substitute teacher, she had as much natural talent and ability inside the classroom as she had on the track. “I discovered a second love in teaching,” said Joanna, who has been both a long-term sub at Shiloh Elementary School and a stellar sub at Tripp Elementary School. “Children are my passion and I want to serve them.” But just because she had become a substitute didn’t mean her running days were over. Before agreeing to take a long-term sub position at Shiloh, she told the administrative team that she was training to be part of Team USA, which was competing in Japan for the World Track and Field Championships. Teachers and staff at Shiloh fully supported Joanna’s goal, and, in 2019, Joanna officially became part of Team USA at the World Track and Field Championships. Team USA brought home a gold medal, and Joanna returned to Shiloh to teach again with new inspiration. “I want to show these kids that you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it,” Joanna said. “I am a teacher, athlete, and mother – and they can do it, too.” With three World Championship gold medals under her belt, it’s easy to see why Joanna is so inspiring to her class. Calling her a “real life superhero,” her students are always excited to see videos of their teacher competing and constantly ask her questions about her races and wins. But Joanna doesn’t just focus on her successes. She is open with her kids about her struggles after her car accident because she wants them to know that everyone deals with something in life. But she also wants her kids to know that no struggle has to define them. Moving forward, Joanna plans to continue to pursue all of her passions in equal measure. As she begins the process of getting certified Continued on page 23
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