Ralph Lauren Olympic Commercial

The Olympic Games are here, so why not soak up the atmosphere and let it soak into your skin. Can you believe that the U.S. Olympic Committee partnered with clothing legend Ralph Lauren to deliver an elegant outfit.

This Polo commercial featuring Olympic hopeful Brianna Glenn really captures the Olympic spirit and what it means to represent the U.S. at the highest level and one the world's biggest stage.

Click here to watch the Olympic Games commercials by Ralph Lauren.

By Jay Hicks.

PreraceJitters Exclusive Interview with Brianna Glenn: Surviving The Game

The memories of the U.S. Olympic Trials are etched in Brianna Glenn’s mind. Her Olympic dreams died in Eugene at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

In the end, it was not in the cards. Brianna Glenn could not get everything to come together in the long jump finals, but ended up in 11th place with 20 feet, 6 1/4 inches when the competition ended. She fouled on her final two jumps.

Afterwards, in the athlete interview area, a tear rolled down Brianna’s cheek. She finally got out, “You don’t plan for this.”

Less than two months before the U.S Olympic Trials, she had surgery to repair a recurring knee injury, and then everything fell apart. An injury is a long jumpers’ nightmare and it definitely was not in her plan to compete in the Olympic Games. No run at making the Olympic team is supposed to be battled this way.

You won’t hear Brianna offering up any excuses or pointing to any specific reasons for not placing top three at the Olympic trials. Even though she would be well within her rights to do that but she didn't. She gathered herself together as quickly as possible and arrived at the trials ready to compete. Because win, lose, or draw - she is a competitor.

Just after the gut-wrenching experience of failing to achieve her life-long goal of going to the Olympics, Brianna gracefully agreed to sit down at the Hilton hotel in downtown Eugene for an interview.

In the hotel lobby, Brianna's eyes betrayed her. They typically dance with expectation and possibility. Much has been written about Brianna's fun-loving attitude, her fabulous sense of humor, her victorious nature. Brianna does little to dispel that image, but her light hazel-brown eyes hinted at something else altogether. Something much more vulnerable.

Her window of her career hasn’t yet closed, and the question before her is whether to stay in the sport, or retire from the sport that she loves so much.

Here is what Brianna Glenn had to say:

PRJ: Share with us the experience of participating in the third Olympic Trials of your professional career.

BG: I was not as nervous this time around. This time, I was able to take this experience for what it is and put aside the hype involved. The first time I came to the Olympic Trials, I was wide-eyed and just so darn excited to be there. I was competing with people that I had looked up to for so many years. That feeling subsides after you’ve done it a few times.

PRJ: What was your mindset coming into the ’08 Olympic Trials?

BG: I was definitely confident coming into the trials. I was really excited because we wait every four years for this opportunity. It’s a culmination of all the work you’ve put in up to this point. Now, you actually get to get out there and show your stuff. It’s an exciting time, I think, for most athletes once you actually get to the trials. All of that hard work is finally about to pay off.

PRJ: Talk about your disappointment in not making the Olympic Team.

BG: My performance is disappointing. It was hard for me, because I really had a tough year. More than anything, I wanted to come in here and do my best. I just felt like if I competed to the best of my abilities that I would have a shot to make the team. That did not happen. You know the circumstances I was in, so I have to take it for what it is, learn from it, and just move on. I’m just trying to do that the best that I can.


PRJ: Talk about your abilities to not just overcome obstacles and disappointments, but to thrive on the field and in your personal life.

BG: Ultimately, you have to have a strong sense of self, especially in this sport. You go through ups and downs, and nothing is always up. If you are not mentally prepared, then you will not be in the right position to experience the high points. You also have to learn to bounce back and how to have a short-term memory, because every athlete experiences losses.

PRJ: What was it like having your friends and family here at the Olympic Trials to support you?

BG: It was important. It’s great to be here with people that support you. I have the best friends and family in the world, in my humble opinion. They love me unconditionally. They know who I am as an athlete, but more importantly, they know who I am as a person.

PRJ: You’ve been to two other Olympic Trials, what is your opinion of Eugene ’08?

BG: They have done a wonderful job putting on a big show here in Eugene – ‘Tracktown, USA’. They have a track mentality here to support the sport. It’s great how they organized the meet. Overall, it’s good for the athletes and the sport. When you come to Eugene, the fans support every event, not just the premiere events.

PRJ: What, if any, affect did the fans have on the performances?

BG: They gave off great energy. They are behind you, clapping you down the runway. It’s not like, ‘Oh, there is my mom, I can hear her clapping.’ It was a positive experience here, because the fans cheer in the first place and the last place finishers.

PRJ: What do you have to look forward to the rest of the ’08 season and the ’09 season?

BG: We’re still trying to figure that out now. Things are up in the air, because I have to reorganize things. It will be something that I go over with my coach and my agent in the next several weeks. You can always read about it on my blog.

PRJ: Let’s digress for a moment and discuss your blog. It’s considered one of the most popular track and field athlete blogs on the net. What do you think is behind that success and the out-pouring of support from the fans?

BG: I don’t know where the traffic is coming from. What I like is that people from different backgrounds read my blog, both track fans and non-track fans alike. But they found my blog somehow and are currently interested in the sport, and that is great.

My blog has taken on a life of its own. Now, I feel responsible to keep updating it with what is going on in my life and career because my fans have taken the time to read my blog.

PRJ: What are your thoughts on your life after track and field?

BG: It’s hard to know for sure, because most athletes know their sport. I have my college degree in marketing, so I believe it will be something along those lines. I love sports and would like to do something in sports marketing.

PRJ: It’s been a rough 18 months or so for the sport. Have the Olympic Trials been good for track and field?

BG: It was a great Olympic Trials. Being out there for the last seven days, you have so many people with dreams in their eyes. Hopefully, that dream will shine through, and people will stop focusing on the negative. I just really appreciate our sport and what it has to offer.

PRJ: Brianna, thank you so very much for taking the time, and we wish you the best.

All content and photographs by Jay Hicks.

Seed Runnerspace

PreraceJitters.com Interview: Brianna Glenn--The Good Life!

Brianna is no stranger to the pages of PreraceJitters.com. As a matter of fact, she is a regular via her blog, which is a fan favorite with laugh out loud funny entries about the goings on in her so-called fabulous life in track and field.

The sprinter and long jumper has hurdled, run around, and gotten under all of the obstacles that could have potentially kept her from the Olympic Trials. If there was test for persistence, Brianna would pass with flying colors regardless of the outcome at the Trials where she will focus on the long jump in her journey to make the Olympic Team.

With less than a week before the Olympic Trials, we caught up with Brianna and here is what she had to say:

PRJ: Your blog is wildly successful. The sport has struggled to attract new fans in large numbers. Your larger readership is made up of hardcore track fans and people who know generally about track but maybe have not followed the sport closely. So what do you make of all of this?

BG: I think it’s awesome. I didn’t really start a blog with the hopes that I would reach a whole lot of people that I didn’t already know…it was more so for my friends and family to keep up with me. But it turns out that a lot of people I have never met read it as well as people who have never previously been big fans of track and field. Whatever their reasons are for stopping by, I am just happy that they find enough interest in what I do to continue to check back and hopefully in the process they can learn to appreciate the sport I love.

PRJ: What if anything have you learned from readers since you began blogging and where do you see your athlete blog going in the future?

BG: There is a lot you can gain from putting yourself out there in the blog world. For the most part people are very encouraging and supportive, which is such an amazing bonus to it all. Not only do people take the time to comment on what is going on in my life, but I constantly get emails and messages that are incredibly uplifting or just to say they appreciate a certain picture…which is also very flattering!

PRJ: Did you have any role models when you started competing?

BG: I have always been a huge fan of Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She is one of the greatest athletes of all time and she did it with the utmost grace and humility.

PRJ: When did you first realize that you wanted to sprint and jump?

BG: When I was younger I was always involved in sports, just not track. I knew I was fast but it wasn’t until high school when I actually saw where my talent was and that I was meant to sprint and jump. So I ran with it. Literally.

PRJ: After last season your life ran like a Hollywood movie—only in reverse. You changed coaches and packed up and moved from Los Angeles to Tucson where you had a great deal of success during your time at the University of Arizona. How has the overall move worked out for you so far?

BG: I am no stranger to moving and switching coaches. I always do what I feel is best for my career at the time and this year it made sense for me to go back to working with my coach from college, someone I trusted immensely. Trusting your coach is a huge piece of the puzzle and as much as I loved living in LA, it was a small sacrifice to make. Being out here has allowed me to focus and prepare how I needed to.

PRJ: Do you have a good chance to qualify? If so, what do you feel you need to do in order make sure you get an airline ticket to perform in Beijing?

BG: This year the field in the women's long jump is stronger than it's
been in quite some time. We have a number of women who are capable of
jumping far and getting on that team and I definitely see myself in
that mix. I think the great competition among us will push us all to
jump far and to produce some great marks. I have a feeling that if I
jump what I am capable of jumping I will definitely be on the team.
My focus is on jumping well and when that happens the results will
fall into place.

PRJ: The pressing matter on everyone’s mind in track and field is the pending Olympic Trials. You have recently had knee surgery and are back to working out. How is your knee and physical conditioning going into the trials?

BG: This is 2008. Everyone knows what the deal is this year and where the focus is. My knee surgery was most definitely a setback but there was nothing that was going to keep me out of the Trials in my mind. I told the doctor he could duct tape it together if necessary but one way or another, I would be out there. I’ve healed quickly enough to give myself a great opportunity in Eugene and that is all I can really ask for.

PRJ: There has been a huge build up to the Olympic Trials. Do you feel any pressure heading into Eugene?

BG: It’s exciting. Sure, it’s a pressure filled situation because we all know what’s on the line, but you have to embrace the opportunity.

PRJ: Is there one thing in particular you're looking forward to if you get to Beijing?

BG: I’m looking forward to competing with USA written across my chest.

PRJ: Are you anxious about anything outside of competition that you're going to encounter in China? I've heard about some non-traditional toilets.

BG: Track athletes do a lot of squats so we will be ok. I’m looking forward to some authentic orange chicken and shrimp fried rice. Whatever we encounter, I’m sure we will embrace it all.

PRJ: Thank you for making time in your busy schedule to speak with us. Good luck in your efforts at the Olympics Trials and the remainder of your season.

By Jay Hicks.

When Athletes Blog – Olympic Hopeful Brianna Glenn

Making the U.S. Olympic team is a life time achievement for many elite runners. Rockers AC/DC summed it up best saying "It’s a long way to the top if you wanna to rock 'n' roll." Long jumper Brianna Glenn has fought fear and injury on the pot hole filled road to achieve her ultimate goal of making the Olympic Team.

Brianna took to her blog to share with fans the most recent events in her experience.

"Well, on to my update…

This past week I have been back to regular training and at the end of the week I even did full approach pop ups. (Technical talk for doing take-offs in the long jump without landing). I am ecstatic because I’m still fast. Granted, I am not as fast as I believe I would have been without the setback, but I am definitely fast and this is one of my advantages to already being one of the fastest jumpers in the world (in my humble opinion). It was a bit nerve racking putting back on my spikes without knowing what to expect from my body. I did not step on a track surface for a month’s time and then I did a somewhat abbreviated and accelerated rehab program so that I could get back to doing what I need to do. Needless to say, this caused some achy joints and bones. I am not the spring chicken I once was!

As important as balancing on one leg and stepping down from a 1 ft. box is, I could not wait to start to be able to feel as if I was really preparing for my task in 3 weeks. Here is the thing about this whole process – it can be truly overwhelming if you let it. I have taken things one step at a time because that is the only way to feel as if it’s manageable. If I could only lie on my couch and squeeze my quad 25 times every hour, I made sure I stayed on top of it. Once I was able to jog in the water, I tried to be the best water jogger I could. (No easy feat as I am no fan of things done in the water.) When I was able to get on land and do things that were not too much impact, I put all my energy towards that. I could not focus on what I could not do, only on what I could. It was hard. I’m not going to lie. But for the most part I was proud of myself for staying in the moment and staying positive and continuing to believe that I would be ok."

By Jay Hicks.

When Athletes Blog: Olympic Hopeful Brianna Glenn

It’s not easy being a pro track runner. Just ask Brianna Glenn.

She has taken to her blog to share the trials and tribulations of being a professional athlete. Fans love her blog because she shares the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This time she opened up with fans about missing the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix because of physical pains and the struggles of running and jumping.

Brianna had this to say:

“I usually really like blogging. I get a little excited when I experience something and then immediately think to myself, I’ll blog that later. But right now…not so much. You see, I was really looking forward to having some interesting and exciting news during this time, what with all my travels and competitions that I had on the schedule, but now I find myself back in Tucson an entire week earlier than was planned and I’m quite frustrated. And to be honest, I really don’t want to blog about any of it because I know that I’m a little too emotional right now and a tad bit angry. And scared. And upset. And discouraged. And depressed. And nervous. And shoot, I really could go on and on about all the different emotions I’m feeling but the point is, I really don’t have a handle on any of them. I kind of feel like just screaming into a pillow and eating a whole pint of ice cream. But I’m lactose intolerant so that’s really not a good idea.”

Click here to read her full blog.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.

Brianna Glenn Models Olympic Uniforms

Track’s resident model, Brianna Glenn, was selected to show off Ralph Lauren’s latest winning look in the U.S. Olympic uniforms.

Brianna is shown wearing a Ralph Lauren designed ‘Olympic Village Wear’ uniform with U.S. Olympic team boxer Deontay Wilder. She is also seen getting a touch-up from makeup artist Johnny Caruso as U.S. Olympic team rower Giuseppe Lanzone stands in the background. These photos are from a New York City photo shoot.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.

When Athletes Blog: Olympic Hopeful Brianna Glenn

Brianna Glenn is living the good life-- albeit not on the track and field dime. Brianna took to her blog to share with fans, her so-called fabulous life that includes running into some of biggest names in sports.

The long jump Olympic hopeful describes to fans that running professional track is like dating the guy that runs to the restroom when the check arrives and never returns to the table.

Says Brianna:

“My expectations for the trip were grossly underestimated. As soon as I landed and headed to dinner I was updated on the itinerary. First an intimate dinner at Ruth Chris for about 60. Can I just mention that we all were served steak AND lobster?! You know I was in heaven. Then it was off to spend some time being a “celebrity” bartender with the other athletes sponsored by the company. This included Kasey Kahne, a NASCAR driver, some other guy who races cars and whose name escapes me at the moment, and Chuck Lidell, a guy they call ICEMAN, who is the star of the UFC. Scary lookin’ guy but a total sweetheart. I’ll admit that I didn’t know who anybody was but after hearing their credentials, I was more than impressed. I mean Kasey has his own jet so the guy can’t be too shabby! It was my impression that we would have one bar that was closed off for this special event but I was wrong. There were in fact 12 bars rented out for the entire evening for the convention that was taking place.”

Click here to read Brianna’s full blog.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.

Brianna Glenn Graces Sports Illustrated and Blogs About It!

(r)Heather Mitts (soccer), and (c)Lovie Jung (softball), (r)Brianna Glenn (track)

Olympic hopeful Brianna Glenn has a lot to talk about!

The world-class long jumper and sprinter recently posed along side Olympic athletes Lovie Jung and Heather Mitts in ads appearing in the new issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2008.

The casual fan may think track & field is boring. They obviously haven’t come across Brianna.

Before jumping a flight to race in England, the University of Arizona alum posted the following message on her official blog:

“I will be spending the next couple of days in the Big Apple courtesy of Anheuser-Busch and Sports Illustrated. I did a modeling job over the summer that I will be sharing more about when it debuts in the next week or so, and because of that, I get to pretend I am the next Giselle for the next 72 hours.

I get to fly first class, stay in an ultra swanky New York hotel, limo service…the whole nine. All this just to attend a launch party for the magazine. The crazy thing is, I am a teeny-weeny goldfish in this proverbial pond and I still get the red-carpet treatment. It makes me question why I give all my blood, sweat, and tears to a profession that forces me to take the cheapest flights I can find with 9 hour layovers in Uzbekistan, arrive at the airport only to find out nobody has remembered to pick me up, and share a room with Olga, the non-speaking Russian. In fact, I am leaving New York on Wednesday to head across the pond-- in coach of course-- to run a race on Saturday in Birmingham, England.

My life on the catwalk will be short-lived. I plan on enjoying my life as a wannabe supermodel but given the fact that I’m not having any more growth spurts and my only curves come from the weight-room, I doubt I’ll be changing professions any time soon. It’s ok though…I’m quite content with where I deposit my blood, sweat, and tears.”

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist