Now that the 2016 Summer Olympics are over, sports administration senior Chanice Chase looks back on her experience-of-a-lifetime in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For the track and field athlete, representing the University in addition to her native city Toronto, Canada, changed her life.
Dreaming of going to the Olympics since she was a little girl, Chase is no stranger to intense training and dedication to her sport. She has a 10 year background in track and has run for the LSU Track and Field team for the past four years.
After extensive preparation, Chase was ready to take the Olympics by storm.
“It was my first Olympic games, and my emotions and nerves took over,” she said.
Knowing the competition would be tough, Chase put her all into training, dedicating multiple hours every day to physical preparation and a healthy change in diet. She also listened to motivational speakers and music to mentally prepare.
As her own greatest competition, Chase sharpened her skills by watching previous track footage of herself.
Describing the Olympics as rather stressful, Chase says it was not quite what she expected. The reality of living out her dreams pressured her throughout the race, during which she experienced a few bouts of severe anxiety.
Though some of her Olympic teammates were also from Toronto, she attributes most of her support during the trial to her LSU coaches and teammates. One of Chase’s coaches even traveled to Rio to comfort her.
“It felt like a great deal of responsibility to be representing my school because they have had such amazing athletes come from LSU, so to think I was now going to be a part of that was amazing,” Chase said. “I felt honored.”
Although she did not win the gold for her country, Chase still considers it an overall amazing experience in which she was able to compete on a global stage and meet wonderful people.
With her family as her greatest motivators, Chase believes her triumph in the face of adversity exemplifies her strength. She said she constantly proves her capabilities to doubters.
Since the Olympics, Chase has taken time to recuperate. She said competing in the largest-scale athletic event in the world so soon after a long track season at LSU mentally and physically drained her.
Never down for too long, Chase looks forward to her next accomplishment. She will soon prepare to compete on the big stage again at the 2017 Track and Field Championship and hopes to make it to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
As an Olympic veteran, Chase recognizes the new attention she receives but remains humble through it all.
“I’ve been able to enjoy the perks that come with it … being able to enjoy free food and lounges at airports, getting elite member Sky Miles, being recognized at various events and signing autographs and taking pictures,” Chase said.

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Courtesy of Chanice Chance.