The Lima Senior Lady Spartan track team got a visit from a very important competitor today. Jessica Beard, an Ohio native, and U.S. sprinter stopped by Spartan Stadium to share her knowledge and experiences with the young runners of tomorrow. Beard was a two-time NCAA champion at Texas A&M where she also obtained a degree in psychology.
She currently has a sponsorship with Adidas and has been a professional sprinter for nine years. Beard says that reaching out to high school students and inspiring them is a very important part of being a professional athlete.
“I would say the most important thing is to be an all-around athlete,” says Beard. “You know, my character has taken me much further than the sport has. So people notice me for what I did, you know, in high school or in college, but just giving them perspective. You know, talking about things that young female athletes go through, whether it's body image, you know, whether it's boys, grades, you know, just here to really pour out whatever wisdom from my experiences.”
When she's not training, Beard is working on a master's degree in sports management. After her professional sports career, she aims to be a high school athletic director.
