LOLO JONES: GOOD AS GOLD

“It was devastating for sure,” she admits. “I just remember when I crossed the line that I wish I could wake up the next day and have it be the 2008 Olympics again. And here it is [now 2012]! These years have really flown by. It still haunts me ‘til this day, but I didn’t let it get the best of me. I used it as motivation, and in 2010, I had my breakout year! I won the American record and everything.” Jones’ career peaked in the years following her Olympic debut, as she became the world’s fastest hurdler in 2009 and 2010. Then, in 2010, she defended her World Championship with a gold medal effort in 60 meters in Qatar and set an American record (which she says is her best race to date and another huge accomplishment in her life). Gearing up to tackle the 2012 Olympics in London, the two-time indoor world champion will be going up against the nation’s top hurdlers in June and hopefully competing against the world’s best in August. But before she does, she’s preparing herself with various races in between, using them as practice before the big race in June.

Coming off a spinal surgery last August, Jones has recovered fully and is surprisingly stronger than ever before. “I didn’t know if I’d come back 100 percent when I recovered or that it would provide enough recovery time for the 2012 race season, so I was scared at first. It was a tough time in my life because it took so long to get back into my routine. I’d take one step forward only to take two steps back, it seemed, after my surgery. But I’ve actually tested stronger than I ever was before, so the surgery was really beneficial. I’m mentally my strongest right now.”

Jones has learned to focus on the details of her form in preparation for what will lead up to her biggest race yet, changing her diet and incorporating yoga and Pilates into her workouts, in addition to her usual strength training and running regimes. The hurdling powerhouse works out two to five hours a day on average, with some more strenuous days going as long as eight hours. But Jones doesn’t mind, because it’s all going to pay off in the end when she qualifies for the U.S. trials and heads over to London to snatch up the gold she’s been dreaming of winning. “I’ve learned to push on no matter what,” she says. “Like when my body is giving up on me and I can see the finish line, I mentally block it out and start focusing on the form of running and jumping the hurdles so that the pain gets directed elsewhere. It’s not easy to compete at this level. It takes heart and stubbornness not to give up. There are tons of talented people, but they don’t always win in the end. It’s about having faith when all the odds are against you. There’s some people who get lucky and some people who make their luck.” There’s no denying that Jones is a person who has made her own luck and continues to do so while facing some of the toughest adversities – this only adding to her motivating character and demeanor and making her story that much better. Jones knows that she can’t race forever and already anticipates the 2016 Olympics in Rio to be her last professional competition. From there, she’s interested in doing some TV work and would love to be a host on ESPN’s SportsNation. But her ultimate goal is to leave behind a legacy of inspiration and hope for future generations of Olympic athletes.