Senior Thomas Olson has been doing track and field since the third grade for Christ the King until he transitioned over to competing for La Salle as he went into high school. Olson used to focus on mid to long-distance races but over time switched to shorter distance and field events. He currently competes in long jump and javelin as well as the 100-meter and 200- meter races.  

Out of all the events Olson has competed in and trained for, long jump has been his favorite. “I feel like the long jump is the event that I’m best at and that I’ve grown the most in,” he said.

Despite his growth at long jump, Olson said there are also a few things that he would like to work on.“I would really like to train my endurance so that I can switch from the 200 over to the 400 because the 400 is very stamina and endurance heavy,” he said.

Olson has had a very long track career and had some great coaches along the way. In particular, there is one coach that is unique to Olson. “My favorite coach is probably coach Berry, who I had back at Christ The King from sixth, seventh, and eighth grade,” Olson said. “He was always pushing me but he was also really supportive.”

Track has not always been easy for Olson due to having pretty serious ankle problems. “I have really weak ankles. So every year I have to brace up, wrap them up, just to make sure that I don’t blow them out,” Olson said.

Olson’s ankle problems are mainly caused by long jump, explaining that “when you go to plant, you put a lot of force into your dominant foot which you’re jumping off of and that has caused both my ankles to go out on me,” he said. 

In addition, Olson enjoys go-kart racing and won the Oregon State Karting Association Championship in 2020. “That was huge for my career in racing,” Olson said. “That opened the door to a lot of national level races and competitions I would get invited to.” He also plans to break into car racing this year too.

When Olson isn’t training or competing for track, there are a few places where he can be found. “I like to spend my time at rock gyms on the rock wall climbing and out on hikes,” he said.

Looking ahead, Olson’s plans for next year consist of either attending California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, or going to Oregon State University to study engineering.