Jadin O’Brien continues to get closer to Olympic dream
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (BVM) — Jadin O’Brien is coming off a terrific freshman track season at Notre Dame. Recently, she had the opportunity to get one step closer to her Olympic dream when she earned the right to compete in the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.
Getting to the point of competing at the Olympic trials wasn’t always easy, however. O’Brien burst on the scene at Notre Dame as a freshman, earning a fourth-place finish in the pentathlon at the 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. Her score of 4,296 points was a program record, and O’Brien also earned first-team All-American honors with her performance.
Perhaps making the feat even more remarkable was that coming into her freshman season, O’Brien had never even competed in the pentathlon before. However, her first season at Notre Dame came with plenty of additional obstacles.
The pandemic not only made the indoor season unlike any other, but it also forced O’Brien to have to quarantine and be away from her team three separate times. In February, O’Brien also suffered a torn quad — an injury which made the start of the outdoor season very difficult.
“The recovery time period is usually six weeks, but I didn’t really have that time because we go right into outdoor season,” O’Brien said. “I never really took time off and luckily my quad healed anyway. But it definitely wasn’t the same the rest of the season.”
Although her quad was healing, O’Brien had to put in a lot of work to get healthy, and continued to have issues with the injury the rest of the season, whether it was the leg tightening up or her healthy leg being overworked.
As the outdoor season began, the rising sophomore was forced to sit out the first three meets of the campaign. However, she would eventually return strong, capping her season with a third-place finish in the heptathlon at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. As a result, O’Brien was named a second-team All-American.
“I’m just grateful,” O’Brien said. “Given the year it’s been, I didn’t know how outdoor was going to look and indoor was a blessing in itself. After I tore my quad, my excitement kind of went down a little bit because things were so unpredictable. But I was able to compete and be myself.
“I placed third at the ACC championships and broke the school record at that meet. Nationals didn’t go as planned, but being on that stage, I learned a lot. It was a great experience and even though it didn’t go exactly how I wanted it to, I was just thankful for the opportunity to compete against that high-level competition.”
Another positive to come out of the season is that O’Brien was named to the ACC All-Academic team, proving her hard work in the classroom paid off as well.
“I wasn’t aware that I got that until a few weeks after,” O’Brien said. “I wasn’t expecting that, but getting that award means a lot. It put me in awe. I’ve never struggled in school, but it doesn’t come as easy to me as it might to others. Getting that at Notre Dame, I was just blown away and this was a reward for the hard work I put in.”
Although nationals may not have gone as well as O’Brien wanted, what did come out of it was an opportunity to compete in the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials. The top 18 heptathlon point-scorers in the country get invited to compete at the trials, and O’Brien came in at No. 18.
“The trials were a bonus, it was just a surreal experience,” O’Brien said. “Being at Hayward Field and on a track with that much history, versing Olympians and pros as a freshman was more than I could ever dream of happening.”
Competing with the best the country has to offer as just a freshman, O’Brien truly held her own. Coming off outdoor nationals where she may not have put on her best performance, O’Brien was better in each of the seven events, setting a couple PRs along the way.
Added adversity struck yet again when extreme heat in Oregon created air temperatures over 110 degrees Fahrenheit and a track temperature of 150. Yet, the Fighting Irish track star found a way to fight through it, finishing 12th overall among the 18 competitors. O’Brien made bigger waves in the final event of the trials, finishing third in the 800-meter race with a time of 2 minutes, 12.34 seconds.
Congrats to Jadin O'Brien on finishing 12th in the heptathlon at the US Olympic Trials with 5,671 points! She finished it off by placing 3rd in the 800m (2:12.34)!#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/lWFaqAucSd
— Notre Dame XC/TF (@NDXCTF) June 28, 2021
“When we got there, I was pretty nervous, but there was a little less pressure I’d say because I didn’t really have that many expectations,” O’Brien explained. “There were a lot of positives that happened at the trials and it was a great opportunity to get more practice in against really good competition. Now I know what I have to work on in order to improve my own game and be like the Olympians.
“Taking 12th overall was a reward in itself. The 800 went really well, especially after six events and being as hot as it was. I’m so happy with how I did. After the 800, I signed my first autograph which was fun. But the girls and I did a victory lap on the track and that was probably one of the highlights from the Olympic trials for me. Just being in that environment and making memories with the girls was my favorite memory. It was just the best possible way to end the season I had.”
Soon after, O’Brien found her parents in the crowd. Throughout the trials and tribulations of the season, both of her parents were always there for her, and to be able to celebrate at the trials together was a special moment.
“I wouldn’t be here without my family,” O’Brien said. “My parents were able to fly out for the Olympic trials and having them there was just such a surreal experience. They’ve encouraged me and when I was going through quarantine, being stressed out with school or when I tore my quad, they were the ones I called first and the ones that kept me going, really. I’m just beyond thankful that they were able to celebrate with me at the Olympic trials after I crossed that finish line.”
Now, O’Brien will take some well-deserved time off. Then, it will be time to begin training again for next year’s indoor season.
“My focus going into my sophomore season is to just take what I learned from this season and build on it,” the track star said. “I’m going to go in with the same mindset I had this year which is just do everything I can for the glory of God and do my absolute best. If you put in the work, it’s all going to work out.”
O’Brien is sure to make headlines again next season. However, her freshman year is one that was truly special and won’t be forgotten any time soon.
“There were definitely a lot of bumps in the road, but I was able to overcome a lot of negativity and end on a positive note,” O’Brien said. “My freshman year was more than I could ever hope for. It was probably the hardest year of my life in all aspects. But I’m beyond thankful for how it ended and as I look back on the year, I would say the hard work that I put in definitely paid off.”
Capping her season with an incredible experience at the Olympic trials, O’Brien now got a taste of what it’s like to compete at that level. It’s been her ultimate dream to compete for her country, and by 2024, the O’Brien name may very well be represented on Team USA.
“I would say my drive to make the Olympics is even stronger,” O’Brien said. “Experiencing what I did this past weekend, it just struck into my desire to make the Olympic team. I’m going to put in everything I can to get there. Experiencing that and coming so close to reaching a goal that I’ve had my whole life, it made me want it even more. I don’t even know how to explain how much I want it, but I’m just looking forward to the future and what God has in store for me.”
