Imagine running full speed — an all-out sprint. Legs moving as fast as possible, arms pumping. Now, imagine a jump that takes all effort, soaring as far into the air as possible.
Now, imagine doing that jump three times in a row.
Graduate student Kelsey Daniel describes the long jump and triple jump as something the human mind and body shouldn’t be capable of.
“You have to … condition your mind and your body to go 100 miles an hour,” Daniel said. “And then try to jump going 100 miles an hour. … Your mind is telling you, ‘Damn, I cannot jump if (I’m) running this fast.’ So you have to turn your mind off.”
Now a top 15 nationally-ranked athlete in both the long jump and triple jump, Daniel got his start in the long jump when he was just eight years old, and the triple jump a few years later in 2015.
While the long jump is easier, he enjoys triple jump more because he had to work at it.
“I developed a special bond with the training and the technical aspect,” Daniel said. “Like how you maneuver your body in the air to get these types of distances.”
The issue for Daniel, or any triple jump athlete, is the toll those jumps put on his body.
“Imagine 194 pounds coming down on one leg while running really fast,” Daniel said. “Both of your legs have to be strong. … Your knees have to be strong as well, ankles, Achilles, you name it.”
Sprinter senior John Rutledge sees it firsthand at practice.
“I tell Kelsey every day, I’m like, ‘Dude, I don’t know how you do it,’” Rutledge said. “My knees would be shattered if I jumped every day.”
For Daniel, consistency is key, which means lots of repetition.
“You want to be able to turn your brain off and let your body do what it needs to do,” Daniel said. “So it’s basically doing enough drills and technique work so when you go to the competition, … you could just go and jump.”
Daniel’s mentality when it comes to repetition in practice is what makes him such a standout athlete.
“He never takes a rep off. He’ll never miss a session or skip out on something that’s optional,” Rutledge said. “He’s a workhorse. He loves what he does. He’s motivated. … But he’s got a lot more that he’s capable of.”
Daniel knows he has more to give, too. His fifth and final year at Texas is about turning this potential into a national title.
“This year, I’m a lot more comfortable, a lot more confident,” Daniel said. “My previous outdoor seasons have not been the best, so now, I’m trying to connect the dots and make it what it needs to be in my last year.”
Comfort and confidence are crucial, but only if they show up when it counts.
If the time comes, and Daniel steps onto the runway at the NCAA championships — all 194 pounds ready to soar as far as he can — it won’t be despite everything it took to get there. It’ll be because of it.
“I know what it takes,” Daniel said. “I have the abilities, I have the mindset, I have everything. Now, it’s just for me to stay composed and ride this season all the way.”
