Women’s History Month Interview Series: USA Track & Field Star, Georganne Moline

United States Track and Field Olympian Georganne Moline competed for her country at the 2012 games in London. Moline looks to make history when she goes to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics. The hurdler sat down with Sean Saint Jacques to discuss women in sports, her career and more.

Sean Saint Jacques (SSJ): How were you able to overcome your injuries to get reach that goal of making the Olympic team?

Georganne Moline (GM): My junior year I made the Olympic team after I had injuries in three straight years. It was a mental battle. ‘Is this going to happen?’ I had to get mentally stronger. I am still dealing with it.

SSJ: When did it hit you that you had made the team and were going to the Olympics or a moment when you were at the events?

GM: It never really hit, it was hard for me to fathom. I am one of those girls that I watched on TV. I’d never been out of the country. It hit me when I came back to Tucson and people were yelling my name.

SSJ: Did your childhood involve sports?

GM: I was always involved in sports. I ran cross country and played volleyball and I loved it. In high school, I found track and would race friends in the streets. That led to a college scholarship. My mom worked two jobs to help pay for college.

SSJ: It sounds like your mom has meant a lot you. Is it safe to say she is one of your role models?

GM: My mom has done everything for me and she wanted me to have a life that she never had. She wanted me to have high expectations and constantly having a positive dreams and thoughts.

SSJ: Is there anyone else that you have looked up to?

GM: People who I know really well. I look up to my college coach, I’m bias with him. I didn’t understand the pro world. He (Fred Harvey) knows me as a person, took the time and was patient. There were certain things he’ll say to me, but not someone else. He’s been a mentor for me.

SSJ: Women have made a big impact on sports. What still needs to be done?

GM: Women are always in comparison to men in some sports. Why is she trying to be like a man? When she’s aggressive she is automatically like a man. In track and field, I’m being compared to my last race and myself.

SSJ: What progress have women made in sports?

GM: We’ve made some progress. I’m allowed to do what they do. There is always work to be done. Men are factored in a lot of things that women aren’t. It needs to grow, but we are in an awesome spot.

SSJ: Do you have a favorite sports movie?

GM: I love 42 with Jackie Robinson, it is inspiring. Another is Remember the Titans, to see people come together against all odds and to have your own mind, stand up for what you believe in. It is easier to go with the crowd, but conflict makes change.

SSJ: What do you want to be remembered for?

GM: Remember me as someone who was inspired by the people in her life and was a caring and strong person. It can be hard to be independent, it can be looked down upon. You can be independent, the strong one and accomplish anything. I want to be a woman who changed the sport of hurdles, change the 400 hurdles and make it the most watched race. I want to also inspire kids who don’t have a lot of money.

SSJ: If you could dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?

GM: Michael Jordan, because he was the greatest at what he did. I’d love to pick his brain and find out what he thought when he was on the court. Another would be Muhammed Ali. I don’t have that mentality. He was so confident and never thought he was going to lose. I want to have thoughts like that. They are important, my mental strength is a work in progress. The last one would Martin Luther King Jr. ‘Were you scared when you tried to stand up for the people? How did you stand up against everyone? How did you stay strong?’ He is an amazing individual and not just for African Americans.

Moline is now preparing for worlds and down the road hopes to break the world record in the 400 hurdles at one of the next Olympics. As she looks to reach her goals, Moline continues to work on her positive frame of mind and inspiring those that came from the same humble beginnings that she did. Moline is an inspiration for future Olympians everything.