The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are fast approaching, and so are the athletes who are winning a place in our hearts before the games have even begun.
One Maryland track and field athlete that’s on her way to compete is Christina Clemons, 31. Hailing from Waldorf, MD Clemons is heading to the Olympics for the first time as part of Team USA following a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.53 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Although her talent is mind-blowing, it was her choice in accessories that made her a social media star. Christina forgot to pack earrings for the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, so she stopped at a Hot Topic to pick up a few that caught her eye — including a pair shaped like miniature bags of Cool Ranch Doritos.
For each race she switched up her earrings, making sure the pair she chose would match her uniform. Her earrings caught the attention of not only the internet but Doritos as well.
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Her Internet fame was a call to action for the chip company and on Saturday, Clemons tweeted that Doritos had reached out with a gift — her face covering the bag.
Now, it’s said that the major snack brand will be sponsoring Christina in the upcoming Olympics, which is a huge turning point from a few years ago when the athlete wasn’t sure she’d ever run again.
Fresh out of a successful track career at Ohio State as a student, Clemons made it to the finals of the 2012 U.S. trials but finished fifth — keeping her out of the London Olympics.
“I wasn’t so upset because I was just like, ‘Okay, well, I’ll be back next time,’ ” Clemons said in another interview.
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But the next time she competed, her life changed. She ruptured her Achilles tendon in 2013. She was working out with the Buckeyes track team, doing basic drills, and then she heard a pop.
Three days after becoming a U.S. citizen, she’ll run to become a U.S. Olympian.
“Sounded like a gunshot,” her trainer said.
After surgery, Clemons began her journey to the Olympics from scratch — starting with relearning how to walk.
Her coaches from high school and college described her as relentless, someone they knew would fight her way to becoming an Olympian.
Christina went to physical therapy, trained hard for years but still missed the 2016 Rio Olympics because of the injury.
She never gave up though.
For the last eight years, Clemons has been pursuing a spot on Team USA's track and field team but has dealt with various obstacles in her professional career. But now, she is on her way to fulfilling her dream and winning gold.
