For Kendall Ellis, the women’s Olympic Trials champion in the 400 meters, track and field was never a tradition passed down from previous generations.
“I didn’t even really know what track was,” Ellis said. “I remember being at my first ever [track] practice and the coaches told us to run 800 as a warm-up. I had no idea what 800 was, so I was just following all the big kids.”
That moment happened when Ellis was 7 years old. Now, 21 years later, Ellis is set to once again compete on track’s biggest stage in less than two weeks.
Despite training in Los Angeles for 10 years since she was a 18-year old freshman at USC, she’s quick to remind people that her roots are in South Florida.
“I’m always telling people I’m from Florida,” Ellis said. “It’s one of the first things that I share about myself. It’s an honor to represent the USA on the world stage, but also getting to represent Florida.”
Ellis began receiving national recognition during her high school career at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas under coach Alex Armenteros. She won seven 4A class titles from 2011 to 2014, including the 400 individual title all four years.
“I knew going to St. Thomas Aquinas the kind of history they have when it comes to athletics and how many incredible athletes they have had come out of that school,” Ellis said. “Sanya Richards being one of them. I just wanted to be solidified in that kind of legacy.”
When it came time to choose a college, Ellis chose to go across the country to run for the USC Trojans.
“I just had a thing for California. I remember just being so interested in the other side of the country, so my eyes were kind of always set to going to school in California,” Ellis said. “Academics were also very important to me, and USC has a history of both great athletics and academics. So [USC] just fit perfectly.”
During her junior year of college, when Ellis made her first junior world championship team, she began to realize that she could run professionally. Ellis only envisioned spending her college years in California, but four years have now turned to 10.
“It was tough because I’m 3,000 miles from home and I don’t have any family in California,” Ellis said. “I thought that I would be here for four years and now it’s going on 10. That was difficult to wrap my mind around because it wasn’t my original plan.”
Despite her early fascination with California, it is not a place that Ellis wants to live when she is done competing.
“I view Los Angeles as work,” Ellis said. “I don’t view it as home, I view it as a place for me to get my job done.”
“The biggest difference between South Florida and Los Angeles is that there is no Publix in California, and that’s disappointing,” Ellis joked.
Ellis’ time in Los Angeles has certainly come with its ups and downs. Ellis has publicly spoken about her battles with performance and even contemplated retirement in 2022 due to the toll it has taken on her well-being. But the 28-year old has continued to put herself in challenging situations to reach her peak performance.
“I’m really glad I stuck it out,” Ellis said. “I did not retire and I think both the version of me in 2022 and me now in 2024 are very glad we stuck with it. I don’t think she would be too shocked about the way things planned out because this was always the goal. I’ve always wanted to make the Olympic team individually once I got my first taste of the Olympics in 2021.”
Ellis’ 400 time of 49.81 in the Olympic Trials semifinal was her first personal best in six years. She then shaved that time down by .35 seconds in the finals.
In order to care for her mental well-being Ellis said she has to be doing things off the track that fulfill her, including reading books and watching YouTube.
“I was like watching lifestyle vloggers, just like other young black women my age living their life,” Ellis said. “It’s just interesting to me. I just enjoy watching other people live their lives that are so different from mine. As far as reading goes, I’ll read anything from biographies, memoirs, fiction, romance, drama, etc.”
Ellis’ perseverance demonstrates the tribulations athletes face in silence. The high expectations professional athletes set for themselves can suffocate them to the point of retirement. But Ellis has confronted those feelings head-on and now has high expectations for her performance in Paris. But in the meantime, the Floridian sprinter will find fulfillment off the track and enjoy the luxuries Paris has to offer, including shopping for high-end fashion brands like Prada and Dior.
“I want to go shopping,” Ellis said, chuckling. “[Paris] is the city of fashion, so I’m looking forward to buying some purses and clothes.”
Source Agencies
