Washington County Enterprise-Leader
McLeod Proves Olympic Dreams Come True Through Hard Work
FARMINGTON — Growing up in Jamaica and watching top Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, Omar McLeod dreamed of going to the Olympics.
That’s every kid’s dream, McLeod, 22, told sixth-graders at Lynch Middle School in Farmington.
His dream came true but he cautioned the students: “I thought it would be easy. It came with a lot of hard work and dedication.”
McLeod won Jamaica’s first 110m hurdles gold medal in the 2016 Olympics at Rio, crossing the line in 13.05 seconds.
McLeod was recruited for professional track while in high school in Jamaica but he said he wanted to go to college.
His faith in God is important to him and he said he prayed and trusted God about where to go. A coach with University of Arkansas recruited him, giving him encouragement that he could start college and be ready for the pros in a couple of years.
“I blindly came here,” McLeod told students. “I didn’t visit any other schools.”
His best friend from Jamaica also planned to attend UA and he said he made a decision to head to Arkansas in 2013.
“With all that, it came with a lot of hard work. You have to study hard, be yourself and know what you are about,” McLeod said. “Find your own uniqueness and go after it.”
He added, “Put God first in everything you do. You cannot do nothing without God. Don’t wait until Sunday to pray.”
McLeod ran hurdles for the University for two years and recently turned pro with Nike as his sponsor.
While at Arkansas, he racked up many awards. He was a four-time NCAA champion, NCAA record
holder at 60-meter hurdles, seven- time First Team All-American, 2015 South Central indoor and outdoor track athlete of the year and 2015 SEC indoor runner of the year.
The students had lots of questions to ask McLeod about his career.
In answering questions, he told them he practices four hours each day, except Sundays, always eats breakfast, eats right and drinks eight bottles of water everyday
He laughed with the students, noting he doesn’t always want to eat right because he likes the restaurant Popeyes.
“It’s all about time management. It’s your job and I go through this every day.”
Preparing for the Olympics was tough, McLeod said, admitting he had a lot of ups and downs, times when he cried. He fell at some of the trials and was in a “dark place.”
He then came to the realization, he said, “Things happen. When you get opportunities, be grateful, live in the moment.”
Several students wondered about his experiences at the Olympics.
“It was awesome,” he replied. “The biggest moment was meeting all the athletes and the superstars. When I passed the finish line, it was such a feeling of accomplishment. I was freaking out.”
McLeod is still dreaming. His next goal is to win the World Championship next year as a hurdler. His ultimate goal, he said, is to be the best athlete ever.
Besides hurdles, McLeod told the kids he loves to play tennis and basketball goal. He is majoring in business management and plans to finish his degree by taking online courses.
After speaking to the students, they all gathered around him for a group photo and opportunities to take selfies with him with their phone cameras.