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.