07. Gracie Griffith on Mental Fortitude at the Olympic Marathon Trials

With no sponsor, no coach, no team, and no training partners, Gracie Griffith’s plan might be a little unorthodox, but the 21 year old Clemson University senior is quickly emerging as one of the top marathoners in the country. Heading into the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the Marathon on Feb. 29, 2020, Gracie was ranked 500th but managed to handle the adverse conditions to place 95th in a PR of 2:43.36. So how does the double major, double minor, law school bound student do it? In her two years of marathon-ing Gracie has recovered from stress fractures, refined her training, and attempted to join the Clemson XC team as a senior all while keeping joy at the center of her craft.