00:00Lauren Harris, and I'm a professional race walker and member of Team USA.
00:04Lauren, first of all, tell us a little bit about your training and who typically accompanies you.
00:07My coach is Maria Minster-Coffee, a two-time Olympian.
00:11We train together on the weekends or when our schedules want work,
00:15and my dad is usually out there on the bike with me every single day.
00:18I was coming home from work and it was raining really hard in the winter, mind you.
00:24It was freezing out.
00:25And I come home and I'm ready to get out the door to train,
00:28and my dad pulls out this yellow giant rubber rain suit.
00:33He's like, oh no, I'm coming with you.
00:35He does not miss a day of training.
00:38He's always by my side through traveling races,
00:40and he's just super proud of me in there every step of the way.
00:43What are some of your achievements for Team USA?
00:46So recently in Brazil, I finished 13th in the world,
00:49which was the highest finish by an American at that meet.
00:57I had broken a bunch of national records recently in the past year.
01:01The 5,000 meter, the 5 kilometer, the 10,000, no, the 10 kilometer half marathon,
01:0720,000 meter, 15,000 meter.
01:09And in 2028, my ultimate goal is to make the Olympic team
01:13and be a member of Team USA at the Olympics in L.A.
01:17What got you into running in the first place?
01:20I know you said that you kind of didn't take it seriously if you're doing cart reels on the track
01:25on the side.
01:26When did you really lock in?
01:28Yeah, so actually this is a funny story.
01:32I joined the track team in high school, got recruited by the coach that kind of developed a really great
01:39program at CHM.
01:40And he said to me, okay, like, I think you have some potential to join the track team.
01:45And I did not take it seriously.
01:47I would skip practice.
01:48I would show up when I wanted to.
01:52And then one day I skipped and was caught sitting at the basketball game with my friends.
01:55And he kicked me off the team and he told me that the only way that I could get back
02:00on the team
02:01is if I wrote a letter of apology to everyone.
02:03And so I did that and I had to read it in front of the team.
02:06And then he let me back on the team.
02:07And then from there, I knew that it was no funny business.
02:10I had to fully lock in.
02:12And then I think from there, it was just an upward trajectory.
02:15None of this truthfully would be possible without all the support from the community.
02:19I mean, first of all, my family, my boyfriend, everyone is so supportive of just this journey and what it
02:25takes.
02:26Again, me and my boyfriend don't really live a typical life of people in their 20s.
02:31You know, I'm going to sleep at 8 o'clock on the weekends to wake up early and go to
02:35the track.
02:38And, you know, redefine meals.
02:40Like, I really don't have time to cook during the school year because I am going to work, getting home,
02:46training,
02:47doing things before work to help me be successful.
02:51So just having meals ready for me to eat has been huge.
02:54And then Fast Walker, I'm wearing new sweatshirt right now.
02:59This company has, and this brand, talks all about community and well-being and sport in general.
03:07And they have been so supportive to the American Race Walkers and specifically my development as an athlete.
03:14So just having the support from everyone has been a game changer.
03:18And I know none of this work.
03:20Oh, and Center Merchant School District just allowing me to chase my dreams.
03:24And it's very hard to take off as a teacher on Long Island.
03:28But the fact that they are so supportive and allowing me to chase my dreams while also being a teacher
03:34has been huge for me.
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