During my track and field career, I was coached by 6 different people. Of the 6, three were ill intentioned, 1 was not passionate enough and the other was subversively resentful. The outlier in the bunch is my first coach, Leroy Solomon who introduced me to the mechanics of the triple jump when I was 14 years old. Leroy made it a point to complement every practice with various life lessons such as the benefits of chasing dreams over numbers and competing with patience over haste. In short, he was the man who dared me to be a part of something bigger than myself.

That became my personal rally cry for every significant decision in my life to follow. It was why I accepted a full ride to Penn State and why I took out loans so I can transfer to Brown half way through. It was why I devoted the last year to the creation of a film on sport and society and why I chose to move across the country to pursue Wieden + Kennedy 12.

It's crazy to think that all of these life decisions stemmed from a simple form of human interaction between a coach and an athlete.

I may never again appear on a roster, wear a USA track and field uniform or fight for a championship title, but I will always be guided by the life lessons learned from the sport.

Coaching has been the most rewarding aspect of my athletic career by far. It has allowed me to continue pursuing my passion, while gaining the opportunity to have a lasting impact on young athlete's lives.

For competition footage and my resume, please visit the links below.

Accolades

• 2007 Nike Outdoor National Triple Jump Champion
• 2007 Indoor + Outdoor New York State Triple Jump Champion
• 2nd All-time Triple Jump List | Penn State University | 41'11.50
• 3rd All-time Triple Jump List | Brown University | 41'5.50
• 5th All-time Long Jump List | Penn State University | 18'10
• 2008, 2010, 2011 NCAA Division I Qualifier

Coaching Experience

• Catlin Gabel High School | Portland, OR
• Brown University | Providence, RI
• Winged Foot Jumps Camp | Hinsdale, MA