She's a Big Girl Now

"I thought that entering the professional world would be a piece of cake. Like turning the lights on. It's not. My freshman year, I thought I was gonna be on a beach somewhere, working out, training professionally. I don't know what I was thinking."

When we think of what it is to be a professional athlete, we think riches, fame, access, and attention. Every road to being a pro athlete includes its share of hard work and sacrifice, but the journey of a hurdler who pursues a career in track and field can be lonely and is often far from glamorous.

Former Ohio State star Chantel Ray is in the midst of her first year as a pro. Along with training and competing at meets around the country, the 2018 Big 10 indoor 60-meter hurdles champ also works a "regular job" to help fund her cause.

As she prepares to compete at this weekend's Jesse Owens Track Classic, Ray returns to her old college track in Columbus, Ohio to compete in one of the many meets that will get her closer to the goal of being one of the best hurdlers in the world.

Entering this weekend ranked 140th in the world and 46th in the US, the 100-meter hurdles competitor shares insight on being a Big 10 champ and the real life struggles of making her pro career a reality.

Winners Only: This time last year you were a collegiate runner. When you look over your four-year career, what would you say is your proudest moment?

Chantel Ray: I would say my proudest moment would be winning Big 10 Indoors my senior year. My freshman year, I won with [my relay] team, but this was my first individual title. So I think that would be my proudest moment.

What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome during that four-year period and how did you do so?

I had a minor surgery my sophomore year and it took a mental toll on me. I just had to get over it and believe in myself again. I don't know, it's like something clicked my senior year and I was like, this is my last year. It's all or nothing. Get it together, Chantel.

So you're a pro now. When you were a freshman at Ohio State, where did you think you would be today?

To be honest, I thought that entering the professional world would be a piece of cake. Like turning the lights on. It's not. My freshman year, I thought I was gonna be on a beach somewhere, working out, training professionally. I don't know what I was thinking.

If you tell the average person that you're a professional track athlete, they probably assume you're rich and famous, but it's a long road to get there. What have you had to deal with to make being a track pro a reality? What would shock people the most about the process?

First, I don't really tell people that I run track professionally unless I actually know them or they see me working out. It's a dream that I always wanted to pursue. The reality is that sometimes you have to work another job to finance yourself as you pursue this profession. It's not easy at all. There's been times where I wanted to quit or I think it's to hard but I know if I quit or gave up, then... that's just not an option actually.

It's a trillion times harder. You have no idea.

Right now as a pro, you don't have a team. How did it feel being all on your own during your first couple of meets?

My first couple of meets were okay, because I went to the same meets that Ohio State went to. I was with my coach [Joel Brown]. I felt out of place a little, but then I didn't because my coach was there. The meets that he wasn't at, I felt like I was lost or a small fish in a big pond because I'm doing every thing myself. Like, I'm a real adult now, this is like a profession.

It's really weird not having my coach there but he's trained me enough where I know what to do.

You competed against your ex-teammates. What was that like? Any kind of pride inside of you saying, "I can't lose to these kids. I'm a pro now."

It wasn't weird at all because we practice together sometimes, so it kind of feels like another practice. I guess it is my pride, but my coach always says, "You better not let these college kids beat you," and he'll laugh. But he's so serious when he says that.

On April 26, Ray was victorious in the 100-meter hurdles at the Virginia Challenge with a time of 13.19. This weekend she runs at the Jesse Owens Track Classic where she placed second (13.61) last season. In 2017, she won with a time of 13.37.