Meet Cherokee track & field star Jillian Waterman
CANTON, Ga. — With over thirty million viewers, last summer鈥檚 Olympic games was one to watch. Families around the world gathered around their televisions to root on their teams; those of us in Canton were celebrating our American athletes competing in a multitude of events. Among the neighbors watching and cheering was 14-year-old Jillian Waterman, a Canton resident for the last five years. Like many throughout the United States, the Waterman family enjoyed watching track and field, gymnastics, and rugby.
The Olympics were not on Jillian鈥檚 radar back in the third grade when she tried track and field for the first time. In fact, she was so busy with basketball at the time that she decided to focus solely on her court side abilities. It was not until middle school that Jillian took to the field once more and has been on the track and field team ever since. Her passion for the sport has only grown over the years, but her sixth grade year was when she really fell in love. Jillian loves how positive track and field is and how supportive her teammates are of one another. Even though each athlete is responsible for their own events, they are still part of one big team. She states, 鈥淲e all want to see each other do well and I love that.鈥� By cheering each other on and celebrating their successes together, the team members build quite the connection and leave each other feeling encouraged to do their best.
While she is talented in many areas, Jillian has determined that shot put is her true calling. For those not familiar with the sport, the goal is to put a weighted ball, the shot, as far as one possibly can. This action takes physical strength, speed, and proper technique. At practice, Jillian and her trainers are in their indoor throwing season. On Saturdays and Sundays, she practices for two hours, working on weighted throwing techniques to make sure bad habits do not develop. Most people think of shot put as a physical sport, but not many realize how mentally challenging the sport is, as well. Jillian explains just how easy it is to get into her head when things aren鈥檛 going her way. In order to be successful, athletes must learn to push other thoughts aside and focus solely on the task at hand. Before a meet, Jillian always follows the same ritual in order to arrive in a good head space. She never misses a practice the day before the meet, even if that means just practicing her footwork in a hotel room. She always arrives extremely early to the meet and listens to certain music while she warms up. One thing to note about Jillian is that her work ethic is unmatched; there is not an evening that you will not find her practicing at Boling Park. There is no such thing as an off season, or even an off day for her; she is working day in and day out, chasing her goals.
Over the last 3 years, Jillian鈥檚 skill with shot put has continued to rise. She has been invited to compete at the Junior Olympic Nationals three times. Before she even finished middle school, she had already achieved winning 2nd place in the event twice, making her a 2x All American! She was asked to compete in the Adidas Nationals, where she won first place in shot put and broke the meet record by seven feet! It has already been an incredible journey and she is just getting started. Michelle Waterman, her mother, is bursting with pride for Jillian. She says, 鈥淲e are so proud of our daughter鈥檚 hard work and determination. She has big dreams and we are happy to be along with her on this ride.鈥� Jillian鈥檚 biggest dream is to compete in the Olympics during her career and to, of course, bring home the gold.
Qualifying for the women鈥檚 shot put in the Olympic games is extremely challenging; the best athletes from across the nation are only given three ways to be included in this event. Only the best of the best will make it to the games. First, an athlete can qualify based on their world athlete ranking. Team trials could qualify them, as well, where the top three women at the Olympic Trials will make the Olympic team. During the qualification period, the women can also secure a spot by throwing the shotput 18.80 meters or further. With rigorous standards in place and a bar set high, only the most elite athletes will represent Team USA.
Jillian recently started her freshman year at Cherokee High School. She is thrilled for her first season on Cherokee鈥檚 track and field team, stating, 鈥渢he fact that Coach Evans is a thrower is awesome!鈥� When she鈥檚 not on the field, you can find Jillian hanging out with friends, making TikToks, and having fun with her family. Although it is still four years away, the combination of her work ethic and drive make it a solid bet that Jillian will be heading to the West Coast for the next summer Olympics. It鈥檚 safe to say many televisions in the county will be tuned in watching this hard working girl take the field in 2028, proving to all that hard work pays off and dreams do come true. Cherokee County is cheering her on each step of the way!
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