2020 Olympian, 400 Meter Hurdles
David Kendziera
IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW... I would not wrap my whole identity around being a track and field athlete.
Achieving a spot on Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics in the 400 meter hurdles is a huge accomplishment. Yet being an Olympian is not the only way I see myself. I am much more than that. In 2016, as a junior at the University of Illinois, I was forced to redefine myself after a series of injuries sidelined me for over 3 months. Depressed, I felt unsure of my athletic future. Getting back onto the track brought me joy, but I could not seem to accelerate my recovery, which created frustration and took the fun out of reaching for my goals. I regrouped and decided to lead my way through the setback. I began mentoring my teammates, and learned that if you want to achieve something, the easiest way to do it is to help another accomplish what they want for themselves. Assisting others taught me about the event and made me a better athlete. It kept me from obsessing about my own results in workouts and meets. Changing my perspective made track and field fun again. It created mental space to focus on other things that deserved my attention like building meaningful personal relationships. In committing to build up others, I gained a positive outlook.
26
Still, I carried the load of expectation going into my senior year in college. In the previous season, I finished 3rd at the NCAAs in the 110m hurdles and 7th in the 400m hurdles, so the assumption the following year was that I would win it all. The emotional weight of this prevented me from living in a balanced way. I shifted attention away from myself to ensure my teammates had the best experiences possible throughout the season. I wanted them to enjoy the same success as I had, and they did. After graduating, I turned professional and continued to train at my alma mater until my coach took a new position at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In November of 2019, I moved there to continue working with him. The journey to the Olympics is not an easy one. Along the way I realized that injuries are not the end of the world. I am proud of my accomplishments in the sport, as I should be! But I am also pleased that, at 26 years old, I have a great outlook on life. Success is not always measurable, but it is the intention for everything I put my mind to as an athlete, a coach, a friend, and a family member. Expectations that once weighed me down, now lift me up, as I believe I will live a fulfilling life, no matter what I accomplish on the track.
David Kendziera is a 400 meter hurdler who competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. David was a 10-time All American at the University of Illinois. David is training for the 2024 Olympics and lives in North Carolina. His personal bests: 400H 48.38 and 110H 13.39.
T A K E O F F
M A G A Z I N E
