Having competed with Erin Ford for most of my track career, I have to say, she's one the most humble athletes to ever step on a track. One of the reasons I picked her as my second 400 meter athlete for this ‘Under The Radar’ series is because when you're an underclassman no one is really paying you much attention or giving that deserved respect.
I mean really let’s be realistic this 400m field in Florida for females is stacked. This year Erin happens to be over shadowed by some extremely talented upperclassmen, in both the 400m and 200m, Kendall Ellis, Deja Parrish, Gaby Gayles, Shakima Wimbley, Kali Davis-White, and Regine Williams have all stole the show and those are just a few. To out shine these stars is very hard to do since most of, if not all, are some the best in the nation in their respective event(s). So, let’s get to know WHO is Erin Ford.
Erin Ford is finishing up her sophomore year and preparing to be a junior. She is a full-time home school student and competes for her boundary school Royal Palm Beach High. This makes her special because from experience I know it's hard to be home schooled and compete at a high level athletically. Erin didn't just jump on the track scene when she started high school, "My sister used to run and I always watched her. So when I was in fifth grade my parents finally found a track team. I was about 10 years old," explained Erin when speaking about her start in the track world. Her sister Amber Ford, who also ran track and played basketball for Royal Palm Beach. Erin used her sisters marks as goals and surpassed Amber's personal bests at a very young age. When running summer track Erin would dominate from the 100m to the 400m and last year she attended to the AAU Junior Olympics for the first time and placed 3rd in the 400m, 15-16 age group, with a time of 54.8.
Now when kids start running so young, some people would say that our track lifespans would run out by the 
time we're 15, maybe 16 years old. Erin proves them all wrong by continuing to drop her time and this year having the fastest 400 meter time as a sophomore in Florida. That mark in itself is impressive as Erin's season was shorter than the average high school athlete. In some cases being home schooled coaches and athletic programs forget to advise of upcoming meets so there were a few this year that Erin missed due to this miscommunication, but she did not let that stop her determination to prove her worth and did so by placing 2nd at the FHSAA 4A State Meet (:55.32) behind one of the fastest girls in the nation, Kendall Ellis.
time we're 15, maybe 16 years old. Erin proves them all wrong by continuing to drop her time and this year having the fastest 400 meter time as a sophomore in Florida. That mark in itself is impressive as Erin's season was shorter than the average high school athlete. In some cases being home schooled coaches and athletic programs forget to advise of upcoming meets so there were a few this year that Erin missed due to this miscommunication, but she did not let that stop her determination to prove her worth and did so by placing 2nd at the FHSAA 4A State Meet (:55.32) behind one of the fastest girls in the nation, Kendall Ellis.
After the high school season was officially over Erin didn't stop there as most top high school athletes don't. Erin attended the Golden South Meet in Orlando, with some of the most prestigious of athletes who use this meet for additional exposure as it has no boundaries and brings all Florida Divisions together to have the ultimate showdown, "The highlight of my season was Golden South." At Golden South she ran a personal best of 54.76 to finish second. That night she also ran the 4x400m relay with the United Speed Alliance where she anchored them to finish in third place. When Erin spoke about her goals for the summer she said, "Continue to improve times, and get into quality meets." This summer, Erin will be going to a few highly favored meets, but the biggest one she said she will be attending is New Balance Outdoor Nationals. When asked about her goals for her junior year she explained "Stay healthy, continue to improve, grow closer and run for God."
Erin is one of those athletes, that has all the potential of being the best in the world and these next two years are going to be crucial for her. When I asked Erin about her where she's interested in going to college she told me, "I'm interested in UF, UCF, UM, FSU..." and she would like to major in Sports Medicine.
In closing our interview, I asked her the following question: ‘What is one thing the track world doesn't know about you?’
You would think it would be something family or athletically related, "I'm into beauty and fashion. Not only just wearing it, but creating it. I like chopping up my pants and shirts and recreating them things like that." I hope everyone keeps their eye on her, as she is a rising star ‘Under The Radar’.