On The Rise: Roisin Willis (U.S. HS Girls Indoor 800m Record Holder)

“I think that’s why we’re running so well. We just all push each other to be the best. We realize that none of us will be the one star. We’re all going to share this together. I think that’s what makes it really special. They just push me to be a better athlete. I’m just glad that we’re all willing to race each other all the time and push each other and break the limits of high school running.”

In this episode, we speak with Roisin Willis. She is a senior at Stevens Point Area High School in Wisconsin. That’s the same high school that has produced track and field greats like Chris Solinsky and Suzy Favor Hamilton. Roisin is already one of the next big stars. Last year, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials when she ran 2:00.78 at the Trials of Miles NYC meet and then ended up reaching the semifinals in Eugene. The fast times continued this indoor season as she ran 2:00.06 to break the high school girls indoor 800m record. The previous record was 2:01.78 set in 2017 by Sammy Watson. She capped her indoor season with a win in the 800 at New Balance Nationals. Next year she’s taking her talent to Stanford so there’s plenty of excitement about that.

Catch the latest episode of the podcast on Apple Podcasts. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify.


roisin willis stevens point area high school

Photo by Johhny Zhang/@jzsnapz


THANKS TO FINAL SURGE FOR SUPPORTING THE SHOW

No matter if you are an athlete or a coach, Final Surge helps plan and attain both short, and long-term training success. Their free online training log is compatible with Garmin, Strava, Polar, Stryd, COROS and a slew of other apps and devices.

If you are a coach, Final Surge makes planning and analyzing workouts simple and helps streamline communication with your athletes. Some of the top coaches in the world who have been guests on this podcast use it on a daily basis.

If you’re an athlete out there hammering miles and tempo runs solo with no guidance or direction, Final Surge is also here to offer up some world-class training programs. Get yourself a training plan for that spring 5K, Half Marathon or full marathon on your calendar. They’ve got plans from Ben Rosario and NAZ Elite, Drew Hunter and Christine Thorn and the Tinman squad with their Hammer and Axe plans, hit the classics with Greg McMillan or Boston Marathon champion Amby Burfoot.

If you are a fan of the sport and are curious how the pros are training, Kellyn Taylor, Stephanie Bruce and the rest of the NAZ Elite squad share all of their training logs on Final Surge. Use code CITIUS at checkout for a discount.

Give it all a look at FinalSurge.com


THANKS TO THERABODY FOR SUPPORTING THE SHOW

Their new RecoveryAir JetBoots are the first of their kind as the world’s most advanced pneumatic compression system ever created. RecoveryAir flushes out metabolic waste more fully and brings back fresh blood to your legs at three times the speed of competitors. Faster cycles mean faster recovery, so you don’t have to wait for..the legs to be feelin’ great.

For more information and to get a discount visit: https://therabody.com/citius


GET TICKETS TO THE 2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Friends, more than 100,000 tickets have already been sold for this summer’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon (July 15 to 24). Some of the sessions have sold out. Don’t miss out. Buy your tickets today to see the world’s best athletes in action at the first-ever world outdoor championships being held on U.S. soil. You can get your tickets by visiting WorldChampsOregon22.com/Tickets


SHOW NOTES AND NOTABLE QUOTES

On how she pushes herself alongside Sophia Gorriaran and Juliette Whittaker

– “I think ‘iron sharpens iron’ means I’m surrounded by someone who is just as good as me or better than me depending on the day. We just push each other to be better. I just thought that was the best quote because no matter who wins. I still think it was a team effort of us and how fast we run. I also want to give Sophia where credit is due. She’s also a year younger than me so what she’s accomplishing is absolutely incredible.”

On the process of choosing Stanford

– “The recruiting process was really long. Considered a lot of schools but in the end, Stanford just fit everything I was looking for. Liked the team. Just a super great fit.”


HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Interested in sponsoring the show? Reach out to Chris at chris@citiusmag.com for advertising, sponsorship and partnership offerings.

Support us on Patreon by backing us with a monthly contribution!

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website.

▶ Follow CITIUS MAG: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel

✩ Connect with Chris on Twitter and Instagram.

Chris Chavez

Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.