Olympian Erin Reese, who graduated from Prospect in 2014, was recognized at the Homecoming assembly on Sept. 19 as one of Prospect’s Distinguished Alumni. Reese, who participated in track and field at Prospect and won a state championship in the discus throw, later went on to compete for the University of Dayton and Indiana State University. Most recently, she competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics for the hammer throw.
“[The Olympics were] the coolest experience of my life,” Reese said. “There was this one girl that I idolized growing up, and I had a poster [of her] on my wall in college. She’s a discus thrower from Croatia. I actually got to see her in-person, and it was full circle — like, ‘I have watched you for 11 years, and, finally, I’m at the same competition as you.’”
Reese enjoyed her Olympics experience, complete with meeting LeBron James and sleeping on the viral cardboard bed, which she described as “really not that bad.” However, not much has changed for her since returning home.
“I still work a full time job,” Reese said. “It’s tough because track is not football [or] basketball; you don’t have people just knocking on your door being like, ‘You want to be a Nike athlete?’ I still grind and work really hard to make this happen … It’s not as glamorous as it may look.”
Looking forward, some of Reese’s goals are making the 2027 World Athletics Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. While the training can be strenuous, Reese uses her goals to keep her motivated.
“I’ve always felt like I had more to show,” Reese said. “Every time I am doubting, saying ‘This is exhausting,’ I’m just like, ‘No, you have such bigger goals in life.’ I keep reminding myself of that.”
Being back at Prospect as one of the Distinguished Alumni has reminded Reese of how Prospect’s resources influenced her as a high schooler.
“It’s actually kind of surreal being here because I feel like I’m not old enough for me to be up here talking to you guys,” Reese said. “Not much has changed. [Being here] has been like walking down memory lane. Like, we used to hang out in this hallway. I look back, and I always took this for granted … [but] I have so many good memories that none of my friends that I’ve met can relate to … because there are amazing opportunities here.”
Read more about Erin Reese’s journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics here.
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