Not even a series of unfortunate events could hold him back!
Trayvon Bromell is making an outstanding comeback, recently winning the men’s 100-meter race and securing a Tokyo Olympics spot, USA Today reports.
Bromell was a superstar sprinter in high school primed for the Rio Olympics. An unexpected bone spur in his heel held him back, requiring surgery before he returned to the U.S. Then, a second procedure prolonged his healing, and just when he thought he was good to go, he caught another injury – this time to his adductor muscle.
He ended up running only three competitive races in about three-and-a-half years, losing the momentum and spotlight he once had. The 25-year-old has worked his way back over the last five years. He recently won the men’s 100-meter dash, clocking 9.80 seconds, and securing his spot at the Tokyo Olympics. He credits his faith with helping him get back on top.
“The biggest thing I learned about myself [was] understanding that, internally, I’m not as strong [as I thought]. It’s understanding that I need people, I need my faith, to be able to do what y’all seen today. We’re human. We break down easily. We’re not as strong as we think we are. And that’s one thing I had to realize. I had to put my faith in something that was bigger than me,” Bromell said.
The sprinter is now the fourth-fastest 100 in the world. Joining Bromell in Tokyo is runner Ronnie Baker, who finished second, clocking in at 9.85 seconds. Fred Kerley finished third, just behind Baker with Noah Lyles and five-time Olympic medalist Justin Gatlin finishing seventh and eighth. Even with Usain Bolt retiring and reigning world champion Christian Coleman’s suspension due to missing a series of drug tests, the U.S. remains a powerful force in the 100. Still, Bromell says that despite his recent success, he’s going to keep grinding as though he’s won nothing at all.
“Anybody who knows my story, I come from the hood. Nothing was easy for me. Everything was hard. So I have that, and I channel that every time that I step on the track, every time I go to training. I feel like I have everything to lose…I feel with confidence sometimes comes complacency. And for me, I don’t like to get complacent. For me, I’m still going to go home and train as if I’m not being talked about at all,” Bromell said.
Congratulations, Trayvon!
Photo Courtesy of Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports