LA MIRADA, Calif. --- It has been said that entering the stadium during the Opening Ceremony at the Olympics is one of the greatest things an athlete can ever experience. Few athletes have ever experienced that moment, but come this summer, Biola's own Amy Atkinson can count herself as one of them.
Atkinson is one of eight representatives from the tiny US territory of Guam to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics, which begin July 27 in London, England. She has earned a spot in the 800m run which starts with prelims on Wednesday, Aug. 8.
“I am so excited for this opportunity,” said Atkinson via email after arriving in England the first week of July. “At times I have felt overwhelmed and nervous. As I have prayed about it and given it over to the Lord, I have realized that I many never understand why and how God chose to bless me in this way but the response He desires of me is one of total release and humble gratitude. This is something I have always dreamed of but never expected to become reality.”
Atkinson's Olympic run began just after graduating form Biola. She was a solid defender on the Biola women's soccer team from 2007-10. However, after suffering a knee injury during her senior season with the Eagles, Atkinson decided to pursue her running career.
“Soccer has always been a part of my life and has made me the person I am today,” said Atkinson. “The people that have been a part of my soccer life are highly influential to my journey to the Olympics.
“I have loved running since I was a little girl and I am so thankful God has given me the opportunities to continue as a competitive athlete in my post college-soccer career,” said Atkinson. “Although I had to be in good running shape playing college soccer, it has been nice to train with a focus on specifically track the past year.
After graduation, Atkinson joined the SoCal Track Club and trained with Coach Mark Cleary while finishing her teaching credentials at Biola last year. She trained 6-7 days a week with added focus, but a foot injury in March slowed her down a bit.
After two months of water and bike workouts, Atkinson returned to the training slowly and was able to run a personal best in the 800m the first week of July at the Oceanic Championships in Cairns, Australia.
The solid performance helped her earn an Olympic berth through the wild card system allotted to smaller countries. As a result of the Olympic organizers wanting as many countries represented as possible, they allow at least one wild card to those countries. However, the athletes that earn them must still qualify by gaining a certain amount of points in international competitions to prove that they are still highly competitive and actively training for their sport.
Atkinson was able to gain points by placing high in previous international competitions over the past year and a half at the Pacific Games and the Oceanic Championships.
The competition—especially in the track and field events—is tough and Atkinson freely admits that.
“My best time in the event is 2:20 and the Guam record is 2:19,” said Atkinson. “My goal is to set a new Guam national record by running a few seconds below that. The top 800m runners in the world are running around 2:00 so it will definitely be a challenging and intense race but I am excited to leave everything I have on the track on race day.”
To prepare, Atkinson left for England on just after July 4, heading north to the small town of Preston for the pre-Olympic training camp with her teammates at the University of Central Lancashire North (also known as UCLA North). Needless to say, the weather hasn't been that great.
“Our first track session was in the pouring wind and rain but it is great resistance training,” said Atkinson. “While here we are able to train twice per day using the track, strength and condition center and coaches, as well as pools, physios, and amazingly scenic runs through the countryside that makes me feel like I am in the shire in the Lord of the Rings.”
Atkinson and her teammates moved down to the Olympic Village on July 19, and prepare to walk in the Opening Ceremonies before competition begins.
“I am still in awe that I will actually be walking in the Opening Ceremonies representing my country,” said Atkinson. “I have always been so inspired watching the Olympics and the Opening Ceremony on TV since I was a little girl and I know this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am humbled and honored to get to compete with the best athletes in the world. I don't think I have had time to fully process what this all means and or will be like.”
The whirlwind of events to get her to England has been wild, but doesn't end at the conclusion of the Games. Atkinson heads back to Guam on August 15, beginning the two-day trek across the globe to the small, island nation. She won't have much time to relax when she arrives, though, as she starts a new middle-school teaching position on August 19.
“I feel as though I have only begun my running career and still have many goals I want to accomplish,” said Atkinson. “I hope to encourage and inspire my students to get involved in athletics. I hope that through this Olympic experience I can positively impact all of my future students.
“I don't know what future adventures or places God has for me post-London, but I am proud to represent Him, my island, family and Biola in this experience.”
