OMAHA (KMTV) — Fiona Thorne practically lives at the track each summer, at least for the past couple of years.
The 14-year-old incoming high schooler is a national champion hurdler preparing to compete at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships.
She’s only been hurdling for three years, and has qualified for nationals each time.
“[I had] never done hurdles, never wanted to do it,” Thorne said. “I was horrified of falling and hurting myself. I tried it, and I was like ‘I wanna do this.’”
“A couple years ago, I said ‘I think you’re a hurdler, would you just try it?’” her mom and coach, Maggi Thorne said. “I set up some hurdles, she three-stepped, fell in love with it.”
Fiona hasn’t looked back.
“I did football before I got a concussion,” she said. “I was gonna do football and play for UNL, and I’m kind of glad I got a concussion ‘cause then it brought me towards hurdles.”
Fiona won an age group national title in the 100-meter hurdles last year and placed second in the 200-meter hurdles.
She’s looking to both repeat and improve on those results this year.
And her mom is just the person to ask for advice on how to do that: Maggi was a track athlete herself at Nebraska and has competed on American Ninja Warrior.
“It obviously has its moments where I have to know when to be mom and when to be coach,” Maggi said.
“I don’t have to worry about going to practice and having certain schedules on times,” Fiona said. “If we’re out somewhere else we can just go train without having to worry about getting what I’m supposed to do from a coach. It’s way easier ‘cause we can talk about it too off-track.”
Before heading to Eugene, Oregon for Fiona’s meet, they’ll travel to North Carolina where Maggi will compete in the USATF Masters Championships.
It’s a mutual love of a sport they’re hoping will last a long time.
“In terms of her tenacity, it’s unmatched,” Maggi said of Fiona. “I think she is a far greater competitor than I ever was or I even ever could be. Just the way that she’s built and her heart for sport is beautiful.”
