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Brittney Reese: Olympic Champion and Five Time World Champion in Long Jump Reveals her Success Mantra ” You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great”

Namita Nayyar (WF Team)

Brittney Reese is an American long jumper, Olympic gold medalist, and is a five-time world champion. Reese is the indoor American record holder in the long jump with a distance of 7.23 meters.

Born in Inglewood, California, Reese is a 2004 graduate of Gulfport High School, where she became state champion in the long jump and triple jump. She later attended MGCCC and the University of Mississippi. Reese was a member of the women’s basketball team at MGCCC and was recently inducted into their sports Hall of Fame.

She was the NCAA Outdoor Champion in long jump in 2007 and 2008. Reese set a personal best in the long jump of 22 feet, 9.75 inches (6.95 meters) in July 2008 in Eugene, Oregon at the U.S. Olympic Trials to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. At the Olympics, Reese had the best qualifying jump at 6.87 meters. However, Reese placed fifth in the final, with a jump of 6.76 meters.

On May 24, 2009, in Belem, Reese extended her personal best to 7.06 m (0.7 m/s wind). This brought her to third on the American all-time list, behind Marion Jones and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. At the 2009 World Athletics Championships, in Berlin, Reese won the long jump title with a jump of 7.10 meters, beating defending champion Tatyana Lebedeva.

Reese is the third youngest champion in the history of the event.

At the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Reese won the gold medal in the long jump with a jump of 6.70 meters. At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, Reese successfully retained the gold medal in the long jump with a jump of 6.82 meters.

At the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Reese successfully retained the gold medal in the long jump with a jump of 7.23 meters. She became the first woman to win back-to-back World indoor titles in the long jump when she landed a 7.23 m last round effort, the longest mark indoors since 1989, a new American record and third on the all-time indoor lists. At the start of the outdoor season she broke Carol Lewis’ long-standing meet record at the Mt SAC Relays with a jump of 7.12 m.

Reese won her third consecutive long jump world outdoor title at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow with a jump of 7.01m, beating Blessing Okagbare narrowly by 2cm.

On November 14, 2011, Reese donated 100 turkeys and her time to various homeless and religious organizations in her community of Gulfport, Mississippi as her way of “giving back” to the community that has supported her throughout her athletic career. She wanted to make Thanksgiving a little easier, in an area where there are few resources for those in need.

On October 26, 2012, in conjunction with the Gulfport School District celebrating “Brittney Reese Day”; Reese created the B.Reese Scholarship which will be awarded annually to 1 male & 1 female student who has been accepted to a 2-year or 4-year college.

On May 21, 2013, the Reese Scholarship was awarded in Baltimore County Public Schools to a deserving student accepted to college or university who participated in the Allied Sports Program, coordinated by the Office of Athletics Director Michael Sye. The 2014 recipient of the scholarship is Bailey Weinkam, a Catonsville High School student that was born hearing impaired. Ms. Weinkam will attend Community College of Baltimore County in Fall 2014.

She is the FIRST and ONLY long jump athlete (Male or Female) to win 5 straight World Championships. Off-the-track the proud Ole Miss alum is committed to giving back by speaking to youth and women’s organizations about eating healthy, exercising daily and working hard to pursue their dreams. She wants to use her platform to end Childhood Obesity. Last year she was featured long jumping in Apple’s product demonstration of their new slow motion feature for their iPads at their headquarters. She lives in the San Diego area with her dog, Caesar and trains at the Olympic Training Center there. She is a huge advocate against animal cruelty and volunteers with the ASPCA.

Achievements of Brittney Reese

Year  Competition Venue Position Event Jump in meters
2009 World Championships Berlin Germany 1st  Long jump  7.10 m
2010 World Indoor Championships Doha Qatar 1st Long jump 6.70 m
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 1st Long jump 6.82 m
2012 World Indoor Championships Istanbul Turkey 1st Long jump 7.23 m
2012 Olympic Games London  UK 1st Long jump 7.12 m
2013 World Championships Moscow Russia 1st Long jump 7.01 m

USATF Championships

Personal bests

Event Best (m) Venue Date Note(s)
Long jump (outdoor) 7.25 Doha May 10, 2013
Long jump (indoor) 7.23 Istanbul March 11, 2012 AR, NR, 3rd of all time

Brittney Reese is an Olympic Champion and Three-time World Outdoor Champion and Two-time World Indoor Champion in Long Jump. She is an exceptionally talented and highly accomplished sports women. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You was born in Inglewood, California and in 2004 graduated from Gulfport High School, where you became state champion in the long jump and triple jump, you later attended MGCCC and the University of Mississippi and went on to become a world-champion long jumper. You reached the pinnacle of success at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, in Berlin, where you won the long jump title with a jump of 7.10 meters. What factors do you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

The main factor that is responsible for my success in 2009 is placing 5th in the Olympics that prior year. In Beijing, China I was devastated that I was left off the podium after working so hard to be there. The ride back to the Olympic Village was the longest ride in my life. I sat on the bus and cried the entire way and made a promise to myself that I would never get left off the podium again. So going through that loss has always played a significant part of my success and it started in Berlin.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

I train around 3-4 hours a day depending on the days of the week. My training regime consists of strength, speed, cardio, plyometrics and jumping.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

I do not follow any particular diet plan. I eat meats, fruit, vegetables and some grains.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding girl athletes who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in the field of women long jump ?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

For kids that are aspiring to have success in sports I will tell them that, there is no limit to what you can do if you put your mind to it. If you work hard and think positive the results will show up sooner that later. Never Give Up !!

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

How did you feel before and after your memorable win in the long jump at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, where you successfully retained the gold medal in the long jump with a jump of 7.23 meters. You became the first woman to win back-to-back World indoor titles in the long jump when you landed a 7.23 m, the longest mark indoors since 1989, a new American record and third on the all-time indoor lists ?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

When I jumped the American Indoor Record in 2012 I was shocked. My main focus was that I was sitting in 2nd place going into my last jump and I needed to find a way to win. It took everything I had left in the tank to pull it off and after the meet I was informed it was the American Record. I never knew what the Indoor Record was so to achieve that was a great surprise.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You won 2012 Olympic gold medal, Three-time World Outdoor gold medal – 2009, 2011, 2013 and Two-time World Indoor gold medal 2010 & 2012. But you had your fair share of injuries. How you were able to overcome the physical injury/setback and what advice you can give to fellow sports person in a similar situation?

Ms. Brittney Reese: The thing I am learning about having injuries/setbacks is to have patience. You have to learn how to listen to your body and let the process handle itself. Rushing back from a injury is never smart because you can end up re-injuring yourself and setting yourself back even more. Just stay positive and don’t rush back.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

On 10th May 2013, you did your personal best in long jump (outdoor) of 7.25 m at Doha (Hamad Bin Suhaim). Elaborate your experience on this exceptional performance?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

When I jumped my personal best in Doha I was excited. It was a great competition that day as multiple women were jumping in the 7 meter range. So to go out there and put up a personal best in that competition was really exciting.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You have won 2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany, 2010 World Indoor Championships Doha, Qatar, 2011 World Championships Daegu,South Korea, 2012 World Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey, 2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom and 2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia. What responsibility these winning bestow upon you in your future efforts and activities in the field of long jump?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

Winning those medals have been motivation for me to win more. It also gives me something to show kids what happens when you work hard. I want them to see that they can also be successful.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Who has been your biggest influence and motivation in your path to success?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

My biggest influence and motivation in my path to success is my mother. She has been my number #1 fan from day one and I proud to have such a strong woman in my life.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You have been associated with B.Reese Scholarship that is awarded annually to 1 male & 1 female student who have been accepted to a 2-year or 4-year college. You donated 100 turkeys and your time to various homeless and religious organizations in your community of Gulfport, Mississippi.These associations has been dear to your heart, tell us how you have been able to achieve and quench your thirst of giving back to the society through these endeavors of your?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

I have been able to give back to my society because I want the kids to understand you can be successful.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

With exceptional hard work you are credited with all your achievements. Do you believe that does the hand of Providence (Supreme Being) played a role in your success?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

I do believe that hard work has played a role in my success. Competing with the best in the world each year, you always have to be on your A game. So it pushes you to want to be better.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?

Ms. Brittney Reese:

You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great !!!

To know the latest about Brittney Reese, check her out at her social network:

Women Fitness Team thanks Brittney Reese for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and made this interview happen.

 

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