David Oliver, an Elite Athlete Grantee Biography

DAVID OLIVER

HOMETOWN: DENVER, CO
CURRENT RESIDENCE: ORLANDO, FL
SCHOOL: HOWARD UNIVERSITY (WASHINGTON D.C.) ('04)
EVENT: 110 METER HURDLES

Career Highlights: American record holder (12.89); 2010 World Indoor Championships bronze medalist; 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist; 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials champion (110 meter hurdles); 2008 U.S. indoor champion 60 meter hurdles

"I live a pretty boring life; sleep, eat, go to practice, eat, sleep and repeat. My favorite past time is laying on my couch, the internet, watching TV, hip-hop music, dozing in and out of sleep after practice."

"Some favorite movies are Gladiator, American Gangster, Scarface, Goodfellas, Life, Philadelphia, Training Day, Malcolm X, The Air I Breath, Ali, Bad Boys 2...I could go on and on. I don't have a favorite food, I have a favorite plate, one that my grandma has ready everytime I come back home to visit- sweet potatoes, greens, black eye peas, chicken and cornbread or hot rolls. I love Rocky Road ice cream and dark chocolate, I eat it all the time."

CLICK HERE FOR DAVID''S DETAILED PERFORMANCE INFORMATION.

VISIT WITH DAVID AT - davidoliverhurdles.blogspot.com/ & www.davidoliversub13.com/

In David's words:

"The support I received during my preparations for the 2006 season really lifted a heavy burden off my shoulders. At a time when I was without a contract and working odd jobs to meet financial obligations, the Foundation took a chance on me. Like I tell people all the time, it is a total team effort, no one does it alone. I am really grateful and indebted to this organization."

The main influence in my life is my mother Brenda Chambers. She was a 400 hurdler. She taught me about hard work and the basic principle that if I want something, I better go get it because nobody is going to give me anything. I never looked up to athletes or entertainers because I had no idea who they really were. They might have been great athletes but could have been terrible people. I had a great inspiration that I could look to everyday. She's my biggest fan, and would be, even if I was just a local garbage man.

I got my initial start in track and field as a high school junior. All of my friends were competing in track during the spring season and I got tired of catching the city bus home by myself. Plus, my grandma would always be home watching soap operas like Days of Our Lives when I'd get home and I really wasn't interested in watching that all the time after school.

One day I decided to go out to practice. Lucky for me, there was no try-out process. If you went out for the team, you were automatically on. I had no event, so you know how high school coaches do it, they just put me in events that we had very few competitors in, those events just happen to be the long and triple jumps.

I could never get on the board and would scratch all my jumps in the early meets during the season. My teammates nicknamed me "DJ Scratch". My fortunes changed when we went to a relay meet. They had a shuttle hurdle relay, but we only had three leg,s and since I was one of the taller kids, my coach told me to go out and run a leg. I had never been over a hurdle before. I asked her what to do, she said just jump over the hurdles and take three steps in between. I went out and did just that. Afterward, she told me that I had a new event. The rest of the story has been written since then.

Played football in high.school (WR, FS) and college (WR).

TYING THE AMERICAN RECORD AT THE 2010 PREFONTAINE CLASSIC

Thanks,

David Oliver, 110 Meter Hurdles

CLICK HERE FOR DAVID''S DETAILED PERFORMANCE INFORMATION.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Bronze Medal

David With Mom Brenda

With My High School Coach Betsey Freeman-Allen (RIP 2010)

2010 USA Outdoor National Championsips

With The Family

2010 Prefontaine Classic