Q&A with Kara Patterson, Elite Athlete Grantee

A 2008 Olympian, Kara set the American record in 2010 with a throw of 66.67 meters at the USA National Championships in Des Moines, IA. This year has seen Kara make a huge impact on the international scene, and in the process, establishing herself as a threat to win any competition in which she enters. Patterson was also a finalist for USATF’s 2010 Jesse Owens Award. A 2010 elite athlete grantee currently living at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA, Kara sat down with us and spoke about a wide range of topics, including her phenomenal, breakout 2010 season.

Foundation: First of all, congratulations on becoming the new American record holder! Who inspired and provided guidance to you when you first started in track and field?

KP: Javelin started out as a big experiment for me, as I had always played softball, but-after some prompting from my math teacher-wanted to have a “just-for-fun” sport in the spring of freshman year of high school. I had participated in middle school track the year before, and didn’t find anything I absolutely loved, but they hadn’t had javelin! My biggest influence in my first few years of track and field was my coach, Nate Botnen. Practice was very challenging, but he always made it fun and constantly looked for new ideas and the best ways to transfer knowledge to us kids! I also am so impressed by and thankful for my parents and brother; they attended SO many athletic events when I was growing up, and will never stop encouraging me. All of the coaches and teachers that I’ve had through the years that have been interested in my athletic endeavors or just furthering my growth as a person are awesome sources of inspiration; I get to see some of them when I occasionally go home to Washington, and continuing the relationships that I have with such great people is so important to me! Also, I would be nowhere without my teammates, training partners and friends. Feeling like I’m part of something bigger than just myself has always helped me to improve. I very much enjoy encouraging others as well as knowing that I have others to support me when I need it. Camaraderie is a powerful thing!

Foundation: If not the javelin, what other track and field events would you like to have tried?  Growing up, what other sports did you compete in?

KP: In high school I dabbled in pole vault, discus, triple jump, 300 & 100 meter hurdles, and occasionally the 4x400-meter relay! I ran the 800, 1600, 4x100-meter relay sometimes and high jumped in 8th grade. I also threw hammer and weight a little bit at Purdue. Basically, I either got injured or wasn’t very good (or both) at all of those other events, so it just seems right that I stick with the javelin!

I participated in soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball, and swimming growing up. I made awesome friends and learned a lot about how much I could handle at any given time! My sports in high school were swimming, basketball and track and field, and I actually thought that I might like to play basketball in college before discovering my love for the javelin.

Foundation: Getting back to the American record, did you foresee a throw of 66.67 meters in the cards for this year and throwing over 200 feet so many times?

KP: My training this past year was awesome from the very beginning, and I could immediately tell that my distances would be better than any season previous. I couldn’t have made a better decision than I did in moving to the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center and working with Ty Sevin as my coach! As far as foreseeing specific distances, I can never do that. I can, however, set specific goals and do my very best to achieve them! Two of my goals this year were to throw 61.00 meters in 90% of my meets, and to break the American record by two meters. I wanted to set a mark that would make a bit of an impact on the international scene. Overall, I knew that my season would be good, but I couldn’t predict specifics and didn’t know how consistent I would be; I couldn’t be happier with how my first year out of college went!

Foundation: What was it like to have competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games while still a student at Purdue University?

KP: Purdue made it possible for my college coach, Rodney Zuyderwyk, to travel to Beijing and coach me at the Olympics. That was so special to me, because he has been such a hugely major part of my development as a javelin thrower! I’m pretty hard on myself, so I was disappointed after my performance in Beijing. Returning to Purdue after competing in the Olympics, however, was the best! My teammates, coaches, administrators, professors, roommates and friends were all incredibly excited for me, and transitioning back into the collegiate track and field system was very smooth. It was an awesome thing to be in a position that I could share my experiences with different groups around campus and in the surrounding area, and my international experience helped me to succeed in my last year of competition for Purdue. I feel really lucky that I got to have such a cool international experience in making my first Olympic team, and then get to return to a Purdue family in which I felt very comfortable and supported.

Foundation: Congrats also on your 2nd place finish in the Diamond League.  What were your overall impressions of this inaugural season and where do you see room for improvement?

KP: Thanks! I thought the Diamond League was simply awesome. I’m not one who can really speak to how it differs from Golden League meets in previous years, because I didn’t have a lot of experience in big meets prior to this season! I hesitate to provide constructive criticism too, because I don’t feel like I know enough about the whole international track and field system yet to be helpful. I loved the fact that the series of meets provided consistent, high-caliber competition. Each venue did a good job catering to the needs of the athletes, and there were generally big crowds at the meets, which always helps with bettering marks. I very much look forward to participating next year!

Foundation: Away from the field, what do you like to do for fun?

KP: I love living in San Diego! I also love that there are so many awesome people training and living in the surrounding area. There is always someone to go to the hot tub or beach with, go out to sushi or fish tacos with, or someone who just wants to watch a movie. I hang out with Russ a LOT; we go to SeaWorld or the Zoo, up to LaJolla to search the tide pools for critters or navigate the cove in our wetsuits, eat seafood, or explore a new area of the Southern California outdoors. One of my favorite things to do after a hard week of training is take a book to the pool or the beach! This off-season, Russ is teaching me a thing or two about backpacking, and we just returned from a GORGEOUS trip to the Emerald Lakes in the Weminuche Wilderness in Southwest Colorado. I also never miss a chance to visit my family and friends in Washington, or friends from Purdue!

Foundation: Please tell us a little about your experiences with “Athletes for Hope” and the other ways that you give back to the community.

KP: Whenever there is a volunteer opportunity available at the training center, I do my best to participate! Last fall, I ran laps with kids at a local elementary school for a jog-a-thon they were hosting, and it was so fun to meet and encourage them. There is a classroom on-site at the training center, and I’ve spoken to different groups of kids a few times about what I do every day, and how I just followed my dreams to get where I am (cheesy, but true). Athletes for Hope has been awesome; one of their athlete liaisons has helped get me connected with the San Diego Humane Society, where I will begin volunteering in November! They also contact me about random volunteer opportunities throughout the year, and I try to be available. After taking a year to adjust to the professional athlete lifestyle, I look forward to taking advantage of a lot more opportunities to give back this year than I did last year!

Foundation: Twenty years from now, where are you and what are you doing?

KP: Oh goodness…in twenty years, my oldest kid is just beginning high school, and the family lives in either Alaska (where Russ guides fishing trips in the summer and works as an engineer), Colorado (where all of us are outdoors hiking, fishing and camping constantly), or the Pacific Northwest coast (where I own my own glass-blowing shop and we eat fresh seafood every day). I see my parents and brother often, and my kids have awesome relationships with each other, their cousins, aunt and uncle, and all grandparents! I may or may not have a real job, because I may or may not have decided to go to graduate school while still training for javelin.

2009 NATIONAL CHAMPION

Follow Kara on her BLOG & WEBSITE AT http://karapatterson.blogspot.com/ & http://s2.webstarts.com/karapatterson

Read Kara's personal bio HERE.

Please contact Tom Jackovic, Executive Director, USATF Foundation at (412) 398-2484 for additional information about Elite Athlete support programs.

2009 NATIONAL CHAMPION

2010 ANNUAL MEETING

THE LADIES FROM PURDUE

KARA & RUSS WINGER IN BEIJING 2008

"DAZZLING" IN ORANGE

FISHING IN THE ICE

2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS