We spoke with Brahe-Pedersen on Sunday afternoon to discuss her NIL deal and upcoming race plans. The following interview has been edited lightly for clarity.

First high school track and field athlete to land an NIL deal with Nike. How does that honor sound to you?

Mia Brahe-Pedersen: “It is so weird to put into words because it almost doesn't feel like I deserve it. There are other athletes who are very worthy of being sponsored by such a big company. Now that I have the opportunity to be sponsored by them, I think I can just take my career so much further. So I'm really excited.”

There are a lot of cool connections here. You're a high school star from Oregon and it's a famously Oregon-based company. What is that Oregonian pride like when you connect all those different dots?

“I love Oregon a lot. The people here – just the whole culture of Oregon, I really love it here. So the fact that I can be signed with a company based out of Oregon that is known worldwide, it just shows that even though Oregon is sometimes overlooked – we can do big things and we have our special moments. Just like how Nike went from a small little Oregon-based company to a worldwide company. I'm going to hopefully go from a small Oregon-known athlete to a world-renowned sprinter.”

Last summer you made the finals of the 100m and the 200m at the World U20 Championships in Columbia. You were just 16 years old. What did you take away from that experience that has helped make this season a big success?

“Honestly, my experience at the World Championships last summer didn't necessarily go how I wanted it to go. Although I obviously wish it could have gone better, I overall just learned so much…The most important part about being an athlete is having something not go your way so you can learn how to deal with it and just move forward and carry that experience with you throughout the rest of your career. So I think that was a big moment for me…The best part about it was that I did it surrounded by a bunch of amazing athletes who supported me and who I was able to support. I had a fun time. I just think overall it was a big learning experience.”

How do you feel getting into the blocks and then possibly looking to your left and seeing a Sha'Carri Richardson or an Aleia Hobbs–is there a little part of you that is sort of like, ‘Am I really doing this?’

“Oh, yeah, definitely. The feeling is just kind of surreal, like, ‘Oh my gosh, these are people that I've been looking up to for years and now I'm standing right next to them on the starting line!’... But the goal is to almost ignore that they are there once I am on the line and just run my race.

The last thing I should do is let myself get caught up in everything that they're trying to do and get starstruck. I need to focus on my race. I'd love to be able to learn from them, which is another benefit of taking part in the senior championships because I'm still so new to the world of track and field relative to them.

I have a lot to learn and I think being able to race against them and work alongside them and just kind of see how they do everything [is helpful].”

I think you have at least one edge on them: You’ve raced at Hayward Field so many times that you might be more familiar with it. You've had so many memorable moments in Eugene. What stands out to you right now as your favorite?

“Hayward is such a magical place that I feel like every time I step on the track, something memorable happens. I would say my number one [memorable moment] was making the U.S. team in the 100m…Going in as the underdog and then coming out having made the U20 U.S. national team was just a huge moment and a huge confidence booster. It just showed me what my future can hold and to never count myself out.

I think the 100m has always been really fascinating to me because like I said, people don't really expect me to be good at it. So when I can prove people wrong, it's really fun for me.”

High school girls’ sprints are on another level. Adaejah Hodge and you have a whole year ahead. The 10.94s high school record for 100m or 22.11s high school record for 200m doesn't seem all that crazy to think about. How often do you think about breaking records?

“Honestly, I kind of let it take over my development a bit too much, chasing these records. For instance, there have been a couple of times where I think I should have dipped below 11 seconds in the 100m…there have been so many situations where I look back at that race…and just didn't do it properly because I was pushing for the time and my coach said, ‘you could tell that you were really straining to get to that line to get that time’. So if I can just put it out of my head and focus on doing what I need to do, that's when it will come. And I think that'll come with maturity. I'm only 17, so I'm obviously still developing that. Once I can do that, I think the records will fall.”

Final thing: how would you define success at the U.S. Championships this weekend? What is going to make for a great performance?

“I think overall a successful weekend would be if I can stay healthy and make sure the mental aspect of my entire race is straight in line. That would be a huge success for me because being in these big championships is definitely overwhelming. If I can make sure that I'm staying calm, and that I'm doing what I need to do, I think the rest will take care of itself. If I can make it to the finals–my coach said that it's definitely not out of the picture.

It's going to be hard and it's going to be a stretch that I'm going to have to push through every round…and I think that might honestly be good for me so that I can have more chances running really fast to hopefully get some quick time to make myself feel more confident. But I don't think making the finals is out of the picture at all. It's going to be hard, but it's not out of the picture.”