{"id":185101,"date":"2024-05-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=185101"},"modified":"2024-05-25T08:14:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-25T08:14:02","slug":"soldier-achieves-olympic-spot-in-steeplechase-credits-army-with-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=185101","title":{"rendered":"Soldier achieves Olympic spot in steeplechase, credits Army with success"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Sgt. Anthony Rotich completes the water jump during the Men’s 3,000m steeplechase preliminary round at the 2023 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, July 6, 2023. Rotich qualified for the steeplechase final, which was held later in the competition.
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WASHINGTON \u2014 With a standing start, the Soldier hyper focuses on the 28 914-mm high fixed barriers and seven water jumps he needs to clear in the 3000-mm steeplechase to secure his Olympic dream.<\/p>\n

Sgt. Anthony Rotich, a chemical equipment repairman assigned to the World Class Athlete Program at Fort Carson, Colorado, is the man to beat going into the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track and Field in Eugene, Oregon, June 21-30, 2024.<\/p>\n

Rotich achieved the Olympic Standard in the 3,000-mm steeplechase event and ranked number one in the men\u2019s division in the U.S. His first mile time was 4:21 and overall finish was 8 minutes 13:74 seconds in Monaco, France. The Olympic qualification standard time for Paris his event is 8 minutes 15 seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels good having the standard going into the trials. I just need to be top three,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cMost people are worrying about racing and getting their time, but I already have that. I can focus on the trials.<\/p>\n

Journey begins<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Growing up in Eldoret, Kenya, Rotich ran four miles each way to school every day with no shoes. During lunchtime, he would run back to his village, eat, and then run back to school.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, you would be running 12 to 16 miles a day. In my community, everybody is a runner,\u201d he said with a quick smile.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Kenya, students like Rotich didn\u2019t focus on one sport but played every sport they could in each sport season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it\u2019s track, everybody does track. When it\u2019s soccer, everybody does soccer at that time. You\u2019re everywhere,\u201d he said enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

Coming from a family of eight with little money, Rotich wanted to go to college and started looking into scholarships so he could take care of his family. He began training for a time trial. Coaches in Kenya will perform these trials and send times and information about athletes to college scouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ran the time trial barefoot. I didn\u2019t have shoes,\u201d he said. Rotich said he didn\u2019t learn that a U.S. college coach wanted him until two weeks later.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have a phone. I was back in my village,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of people were coming all the way to the village to look for me. It took them awhile. I said yes to the first one that came.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Rotich, United States Armed Forces Military World Games Track and Field Men\u2019s 5,000 meter competitor, takes the lead after seven laps during the Conseil International du Sport Militaire Track and Field Competition in Wuhan China, Oct. 24, 2019. Rotich finished second in this preliminary heat to advance to the men\u2019s 5,000 meters finals. The 7th MWG will feature military athletes from around the world with an estimated participation of more than 100 nations and more than 10,000 participants.
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That opportunity was the University of Texas, El Paso, where he became a 4-time NCAA national champion and 11-time All American. He became a USATF cross country gold medalist in 2020 and finished third in the USA Track & Field national cross-country championships in 2023 with a time of 28:49. He previously placed 13th in the 2021 Olympic Trials for the 3,000-mm steeplechase.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s one of only three runners in NCAA history to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase national title three years in a row.<\/p>\n

When he won his national accolades, he said he texted his dad. While his dad was proud of him, he keeps him grounded and focused.<\/p>\n

“I sent a text to my dad, telling him I had won nationals,” he said. “My dad sent a text back saying, \u2018That’s nice. OK, now how is your GPA?\u2019”<\/p>\n

Rotich graduated college with a degree in civil engineering, won numerous academic awards and was named the NCAA Division 1 men’s cross-country Scholar-Athlete of the Year.<\/p>\n

“My parents were much happier about me winning the scholar-athlete award than they were about any of my national championships,” he said.<\/p>\n

Once he got off the phone with his father, Wilson Boit, his hero, gave him a call.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy hero is a guy from my village,\u201d Rotich said. Boit grew up 20 miles from Rotich\u2019s village.<\/p>\n

Boit won silver for Kenya at the Sydney, Australia Summer Olympic games in 2000, competing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event. Three years earlier on Aug. 13, 1997, Boit held the world record in the event with a time of 7 minutes 59.08 seconds. The record was broken 11 days later.<\/p>\n

Boit called Rotich to congratulate him on his victory, but also to ask about his GPA.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe and my father value education more than athletics,\u201d Rotich said. \u201cHe is one of the great leaders in my community.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Spc. Anthony Rotich, a Track & Field Soldier-athlete assigned to the World Class Athlete Program, competes in the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase at the 2022 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, Eugene, Oregon, June 23-26, 2022. Rotich qualified for finals, and placed 5th.
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Army<\/strong><\/h5>\n

After winning 63 races for the University of Texas at El Paso and 19 Conference USA championships, Rotich decided he wanted to give back to the country that helped him achieve his collegiate dreams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw how my life has been and the chance I was given to get a scholarship. I was like, \u2018It\u2019s time to give back to this community that invested in me,\u2019\u201d Rotich said.<\/p>\n

He went to basic training and technical training in 2019. While in his unit, one of his sergeants told him about the World Class Athlete Program.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s opened doors for me. It\u2019s improved my running,\u201d he said. When he started running with the other elite Soldier athletes, he was running 30 miles a week. Now he runs 90 miles a week with them. He also overcame a medical injury from the hurdles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got injured, and it took me two years to fully recover but I\u2019m happy I\u2019m in the Army. The Army, the medical facility they have, the WCAP program, they take care of you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Although Rotich has been an athlete on some level all his life, he said he knew the Army would help him increase his mental strength.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I joined the Army, I knew the Army would give me an advantage to be tough mentally,\u201d he said. \u201cBefore I became a Soldier, I was still weak mentally. Basic training was kind of hard. WCAP and the Army gives you all the support to be the best Soldier and best athlete you can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s on the line with his fellow competitors, he said his military mental training gives him the edge.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can be a Soldier and an athlete,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I put on my Army singlet and stand behind the line, I feel like my team\u2019s mental toughness is stronger than the other athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Sgt. Anthony Rotich, a Track & Field Soldier-athlete and Chemical Equipment Repairer assigned to the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program is promoted to his current rank during a ceremony held on May 1 at Fort Carson, Colorado. Rotich specializes in the 3,000m steeplechase and is a 2020 USA Track and Field Cross Country National Champion.
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Support system<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Rotich said he doesn\u2019t forget where he came from or his family who supports him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I look back and see where I\u2019ve come from and where I am right now, sometimes you find yourself crying but then when you think about it; it\u2019s like you\u2019re telling yourself wherever I am right now, as long as I\u2019m doing the right thing, I\u2019ll still go far as long as I\u2019m true to myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell myself, \u2018You have a family; they depend on you. You have a family; you depend on them. You have a support system,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cAll my life, the reason I\u2019m who I am today is because of the support system I\u2019ve had along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Rotich gets ready to take on the U.S. Olympic Trials in June with his support team in tow, he said he competes to represent the U.S. and Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I win a race and the flag is being raised, and you salute the flag, that\u2019s the time you feel all the work you\u2019ve put in, all the energy, all they support I\u2019ve gotten from WCAP and the Army, and I\u2019ll say, \u2018I did what I was supposed to do. I gave the best that I had,\u2019\u201d Rotich said.<\/p>\n

RELATED LINKS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Army WCAP | Sgt. Anthony Rotich<\/a><\/p>\n

USA Track & Field | 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials \u2014 Track & Field<\/a><\/p>\n

Olympics | Steeplechase: Rules, regulations and all you need to know<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sgt. Anthony Rotich completes the water jump during the Men’s 3,000m steeplechase preliminary round at the 2023 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, July 6, 2023. Rotich qualified for the steeplechase final, which was held later in the competition. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Hunnisett) VIEW ORIGINAL […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185103,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-185101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=185101"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185108,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185101\/revisions\/185108"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/185103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=185101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=185101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=185101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}