This week’s guest is Josette Norris of the Reebok Boston Track Club. Josette is a middle-distance runner, New Jersey native, and Georgetown University alum who recently made a big splash by qualifying for the Olympic Trials with a 10-second personal best in the 5,000m, running 15:19 at the 2021 Texas Qualifier. We talked about transitioning to professional running in a pandemic, what it’s like to be engaged to another professional runner, and the sweet garage setup the Reebok Boston group has in Charlottesville.

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HIGHLIGHTS

On breaking through after 2020:

“The biggest positive that I could take away was having that extra time to get to know my coach and my teammates better, to train, and really just to get stronger. I wasn’t seeing those results in those few races that we had last spring but I was very hopeful that by this year, all the work that I’d put in would pay off [….] It’s been a blessing for me in a way because now I’m having this breakout in an Olympic year, when last year I’m not really sure, because it would definitely have been harder for me in my first year as a pro.”

On ‘full circle’ moments in her career:

“I ran my first ever indoor meet at the Armory in high school, and I got to make my pro debut there 15 minutes from my hometown. I have all these little moments where it’s like – this was meant to be; everything I’ve dreamed about is happening.”

On learning from her fiancé, Olympian Robby Andrews:

“I look up to him because he’s done so much in the sport that I want to do personally, and it’s been so great to have that support system in him as we’re both chasing our dreams together. It was really cool during the pandemic since we were together all the time and doing our training together [….] We have a really good system of both doing our own thing as professionals, and he’s really inspired me and helped me get to where I am today.”