In Her Own Words: Twanisha Terry - Prefontaine Classic/Nike Elite Camp Experience


I accomplished one of my goals this track season on May 6, 2016 receiving an email from Pat Werhane. The email congratulated me on being selected to attend the Nike Elite Camp and Prefontaine Classic. On May 25th, 2016 I flew from Miami to Oregon with a layover in Phoenix, Arizona. My flight was a total of 8 hours. From Miami to Phoenix it was 5 hours and from Phoenix to Oregon it was 3 hours.

When I arrived in Oregon I was met by a lady holding a sign with my name on it. My driver Jason drove me from the airport to the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. When I arrived to the headquarters I was greeted by Kirstyn who helps with the Nike Elite camp. She gave me an Elite journal, some stickers, and a paper to fill out. I went into a room where they had lockers for all the athletes selected. The locker had our name on the outside and the inside contained some Nike gear. I had to put on the Nike pullover they gave us before completing some tasks. I took pictures in certain spots at the Headquarters, I did two interviews with Runnerspace, and I went to the Michael Johnson track and did a video shoot.

The athletes and I met with a focus group and was giving our opinion on their apparel and shoes. To get to know each other better we partnered up and asked four questions about each other. We had to remember the answers and go on stage to introduce our partner.  We left Beaverton and stayed overnight in Embassy Suites in Tigard, Oregon. The next morning we went to Eugene and had a track session with Sanya Richards-Ross and Justin Gatlin. We received our spikes with our name on one shoe and elite on the other.

I met various Olympians such as, David Oliver, Kirani James, English Gardner, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pyrce, Aries Merritt, Vashti Cunningham, Dafne Schippers, Mo Farah, Christian Taylor and others. My favorite of them all was my idol Carmelita Jeter I was shocked I didn't expect her to be there. My leg wouldn't stop shaking I have been dying to meet her in person. We visited the hotel where the Nike athletes stayed and I saw other Olympians such as, Tyson Gay, Brittany Reese, Barbara Pierre, Asafa Powell, and etc. We were able to see all the athletes compete in person from the pole vault to triple jump to distance running to sprints. 



Although, everyone was from different states or different cities within a state we bonded quickly. We knew each other for a short period of time but acted as if we known each other forever. The night after we ran we went bowling and had a friendly competition against each other. At some point during the trip we went to Sky High which is a trampoline center with separate areas: a foam pit, basketball area, and dodgeball area. The overall trip was a success I loved it. I enjoyed the trip, the new atmosphere, the experience, and friendships created. Attending the Prefontaine Classic and Nike Elite camp was a great way to continue my track season once high school season was over.


However, my season is not done my next big and final meet will be New Balance Nationals Outdoor. I will be running the Championship division 100, 4x200, Swedish Relay, and 4x400.

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