Lily Jackson '20 Recruiting Profile

In 9th grade, I missed the state championship for discus by one inch.  A single inch was all that separated me from my goal.

I was upset, but used it as motivation to do even better my next year. I trained non-stop in the off season, and was constantly trying to improve my technique and strength. Sophomore year came around,  and I was ready.  My first throw of the season, I broke our school's record, and I was excited that my hard work was starting to pay off.  However, I was a bit too excited, and I started to over train, taking way too many throws and lifting more than I should have been.  Instead of seeing my throws go up, like they should have been,  they went down or just stayed the same. By the end of my sophomore season,  I had not a single throw that was over the very first one of the season.  This was incredibly frustrating to me- I thought that more work would mean that I would do better. But I came to realize that I needed balance, and that less is often times more. 

I left my sophomore season frustrated, but wiser from the experience. That summer, I focused on training based on quality rather than quantity. My technique got better,  my numbers in the weight room went up, and I was happy with my progress. And, most importantly, I was throwing farther. 

This season is my Junior season. I have learned a lot from all of my failures in the past two years, and I am determined to come back stronger than ever, not only in discus, but in javelin and hammer as well.

I will never give up, no matter how much failure hurts, because failure will always make me stronger and wiser.