Sports QA: Olympian Emma Coburn
The Olympian
Emma Coburn (Mktg’13) is just like you:She dreads the treadmill and enjoys asummer afternoon on the patio with friends.But this former Buff, who traces her love of鶹Ѱto her grandfather, William E. Coburn(CivEngr’49), also ran in the 2012 Olympicsin London. In July, she’ll race the 3,000-metersteeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trialswith her sights set on an appearance in Rio. Here's our interview, condensed and edited for print, and alonger version for the web.
Did you enjoy the steeplechase thefirst time you ran it?
Running is so hard. Anyone who runscan attest to that. It’s often not a veryfun sport. The steeplechase was the firsttime that I thought track was fun. It wasexciting. I felt comfortable doing it. I wasnever scared or intimidated.
What’s the best part?
I think it’s the water jump. That’s wherea lot of the action happens, good or bad.It’s where a lot of races are won or lost.
So what is the hardest part?
That it’s so physically taxing and youstill have to jump over things, evenwhen you’re at your limit. In otherevents you can get to your limit andkind of zone out. In the steeplechase,you always have to be engaged,and the pain in the steeplechasecomes at you kind of exponentially.It skyrockets. Other events that I’verun in, whether it’s the mile or evencross-country, it’s a gradual pain train.
You run 75-85 miles a week.Do you ever find yourself on atreadmill dreading a long run?
Most people know [treadmills] weredesigned as torture devices, that actuallyis their history. So they are torturesometimes. But when it’s really snowy,if I’m up in Crested Butte for the holidays,I have to [use one]. There’s literallynot one patch of dry, there’s no creekpath that’s plowed. luckily if you’restreaming a good show on Netflix orlistening to a good podcast, it can makeit go by. Last winter [2014-15], I discovered“Serial” and I was like, ‘I don’teven care, I’ll run on here for hours.’
What was the best part of yourLondon Olympic experience?
The first was walking in the OpeningCeremonies with Shalaya Kipp(IntPhys, Psych’14), who was also astudent at the time. It was the firsttime Shalaya and I got to look aroundand realize, ‘Wow, this isn’t just anotherrace, this isn’t just another meet.’Also, being in the final and lookingdown the starting line and being like,‘Wow, I made it to this level and I’mracing in the finals of the Olympics,’and that was kind of a moment. [I realized]‘I belong here, I’m not just a fan.These are my peers.’
How did London prepare you for Rio?
It gave me good insight into whatthe competition looks like in Olympicyears. Everyone is ready and everyonecomes to win.
Are you thinking podium or goldat the Olympics, or can you eventhink that way?
It’s hard because the Olympic Trialsare so competitive. It’s hard to lookbeyond that. I think definitely top fiveis still a goal, and eventually in mycareer I want a global medal. I’m sofocused on just making the team andseeing how my season shapes up thatit’s hard to really commit to a goalother than continuing to be in the topfive. Anything beyond that would be areally great day.
Is there something that peoplemight not know about you, thatthey should?
What you see is what you get. But Ithink what’s so valuable to my coreis my friends and family and whereI grew up. My childhood in CrestedButte and being a Colorado personhas been so crucial in my athletic developmentand my happiness.
Condensed and edited by JenniferOsieczanek.
Photo by Casey A. Cass