This morning I found myself in the midst of a debate about late bloomers. The question at hand: Is it possible to get a scholarship to a NCAA Division I school and not have received any major accolades for your athletic prowess in high school? Of course, being the fan of underdogs that I am, I was team #YesYouCan. Well today’s Woman Crush Wednesday proved me right. Phylicia George is one of the top hurdlers in Canada and the world, but things weren’t always so glamorous on the track for her. Unlike many of her peers, George didn’t start running until she got to high school and even then it took her a while to find her niche. She lovingly settled into the sprint hurdles, but didn’t attract a great deal of attention from colleges. The coaches at the University of Connecticut; however, gave her a chance. And it paid off, kinda. While George set school records in the 60m and 100m hurdles, she didn’t earn any national accolades. When she graduated she was equipped with a degree in Biological Sciences and was poised to enter medical school, but she chose to follow her dreams of being an Olympian. Her track record (pun intended) didn’t support this dream, but she believed. Her faith paid off. Within a year of graduating, George ran a sub-13 second 100m hurdles, and made it all the way to the finals in the 2011 World Championships. Cramping prevented her from running in the finals, but she came back in 2012 with a vengeance. In 2012, she won the Canadian Track Athlete of the Year award, won silver in the 100m hurdles and gold at the 100m in the Canadian Championships and she achieved her dream; she became an Olympian. Not only did she compete in the Olympics, but she made all the way to the finals in the 100m hurdles and placed six; all the while setting a personal best of 12.65 seconds…
Because her life is a true testament that it’s never too late to start chasing your dreams and that how you finish is more important than how you start, Phylicia George is our Woman Crush Wednesday. But don’t think George’s career is over. She’s gearing up to return to the Olympics this year and she’s off to a good start. This past weekend she competed in and won the 100m hurdles at the FBK Games in the Netherlands. Keep an eye out for her because if history tells us anything, she’ll likely make a podium appearance in Rio. #HiPhylicia
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