Jadin O鈥橞rien continues to get closer to Olympic dream
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (BVM) — Jadin O鈥橞rien 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鈥檛 always easy, however. O鈥橞rien 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鈥橞rien 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鈥橞rien 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鈥橞rien to have to quarantine and be away from her team three separate times. In February, O鈥橞rien also suffered a torn quad — an injury which made the start of the outdoor season very difficult.
鈥淭he recovery time period is usually six weeks, but I didn鈥檛 really have that time because we go right into outdoor season,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 never really took time off and luckily my quad healed anyway. But it definitely wasn鈥檛 the same the rest of the season.鈥�
Although her quad was healing, O鈥橞rien 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.聽
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鈥橞rien was named a second-team All-American.
鈥淚鈥檓 just grateful,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淕iven the year it鈥檚 been, I didn鈥檛 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.聽
鈥淚 placed third at the ACC championships and broke the school record at that meet. Nationals didn鈥檛 go as planned, but being on that stage, I learned a lot. It was a great experience and even though it didn鈥檛 go exactly how I wanted it to, I was just thankful for the opportunity to compete against that high-level competition.鈥�
Another positive to come out of the season is that O鈥橞rien was named to the ACC All-Academic team, proving her hard work in the classroom paid off as well.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 aware that I got that until a few weeks after,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting that, but getting that award means a lot. It put me in awe. I鈥檝e never struggled in school, but it doesn鈥檛 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.鈥�
Although nationals may not have gone as well as O鈥橞rien 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鈥橞rien came in at No. 18.聽
鈥淭he trials were a bonus, it was just a surreal experience,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淏eing 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.鈥�
Competing with the best the country has to offer as just a freshman, O鈥橞rien truly held her own. Coming off outdoor nationals where she may not have put on her best performance, O鈥橞rien 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鈥橞rien 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)!鈽橈笍
— Notre Dame XC/TF (@NDXCTF)
鈥淲hen we got there, I was pretty nervous, but there was a little less pressure I鈥檇 say because I didn鈥檛 really have that many expectations,鈥� O鈥橞rien explained. 鈥淭here 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.
鈥淭aking 12th overall was a reward in itself. The 800 went really well, especially after six events and being as hot as it was. I鈥檓 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.鈥�
Soon after, O鈥橞rien 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.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be here without my family,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淢y parents were able to fly out for the Olympic trials and having them there was just such a surreal experience. They鈥檝e 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鈥檓 just beyond thankful that they were able to celebrate with me at the Olympic trials after I crossed that finish line.鈥�
Now, O鈥橞rien will take some well-deserved time off. Then, it will be time to begin training again for next year鈥檚 indoor season.
鈥淢y focus going into my sophomore season is to just take what I learned from this season and build on it,鈥� the track star said. 鈥淚鈥檓 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鈥檚 all going to work out.鈥�
O鈥橞rien is sure to make headlines again next season. However, her freshman year is one that was truly special and won鈥檛 be forgotten any time soon.
鈥淭here 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,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淢y freshman year was more than I could ever hope for. It was probably the hardest year of my life in all aspects. But I鈥檓 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.鈥�
Capping her season with an incredible experience at the Olympic trials, O鈥橞rien now got a taste of what it鈥檚 like to compete at that level. It鈥檚 been her ultimate dream to compete for her country, and by 2024, the O鈥橞rien name may very well be represented on Team USA.
鈥淚 would say my drive to make the Olympics is even stronger,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淓xperiencing what I did this past weekend, it just struck into my desire to make the Olympic team. I鈥檓 going to put in everything I can to get there. Experiencing that and coming so close to reaching a goal that I鈥檝e had my whole life, it made me want it even more. I don鈥檛 even know how to explain how much I want it, but I鈥檓 just looking forward to the future and what God has in store for me.鈥�
