Set to compete in discus last year at the State (A.A.U.) Championship, freshman Kendall Headen Ross laced up her new black Nike sneakers, took a swig of blue Gatorade and hit the track. For months, she had been training with her father, a former track runner who serves as her coach. But when Ross actually threw the discus, the one-kilogram disc had a mind of its own—whirling off course in the opposite direction, before hitting the sector pole and cracking in half.
“I’m not gonna sugar coat it, I almost killed myself out there,” she joked. “Let’s just say it isn’t one of my proudest moments.”
Always her biggest supporter, Ross’ dad rushed to buy another discus at the nearest Dick’s Sporting Goods.
A day later—after more successful attempts—Ross was named state champion.
Over the last four years, Ross has accumulated a collection of 50 medals, securing her title as second in the state and region for shot put, and second in the state and third in the Southeast region (including North Carolina, Virginia, and parts of South Carolina) for discus for her age group of 14. She’s also expanded her range of athleticism to include all throwing and multi-field events. Still, even with all the accolades, she hasn’t always been able to stay out of harm’s way when it comes to discus throwing.
“I had to get a new water bottle because my dad just completely destroyed my last one with the discus,” she groaned, rolling her eyes. “Although, I guess I can’t get mad at my coach. After all, I have him to thank for my success.”
For as long as she could run, Ross’ father—who also serves as the assistant coach for East’s girls’ varsity basketball—has pushed her to try her hardest. As part of Ross’ daily training, she completes 30 push-ups, 30 squats and 30 chin-ups every morning before school.
“It’s no days off—no breaks, no stops. Even on my birthday or on holidays, I’m going hard,” Ross said. “It’s never ending—it’s constantly ‘go, go, go.’”
Even with her intense regimen, Ross doesn’t complain.
“My dad and I are on the same wavelength; we’re essentially the same person,” she said. “He’s always striving to make me a better athlete, and be more than I already am, and I’m more than willing to do all I can to make that happen.”
Ross’ drive is the reason why she was able to triple her shot put distance from 10 feet at age 8 to 30 feet now, and double her discus distance from 40 feet at age 11 to 80 feet currently; it’s also why she has competed in the Junior Olympics year after year (except last year due to COVID), and even further, been so successful each time.
Ross and her dad aren’t the only members of their family with a tendency toward competitiveness. Ross’ mom was a nationally ranked gymnast, while her older sister is a varsity basketball player for East. Together, the Rosses push each other to attain new levels of success, with their motivation stemming from past challenges.
“My dad was offered all these college scholarships, but he had to take care of his mother, who had cancer. And my mom was in line to go to the Olympics, but because of racism and segregation, she wasn’t allowed to go on,” Ross said. “Because of their experiences, my parents have always pushed me to achieve more than they were able to.”
Taking her family’s lessons to heart, Ross puts all her effort into every practice and every race. She said that a key part of her training focuses on technique.
“I was taught from a young age that technique is the basis of your strength,” she said. “With really solid skills, you have this springboard to achieve whatever you want, because you’ve already put in all the hard work.”
However, even the best athletes face inevitable challenges. A persistent hurdle that Ross has had to overcome is maintaining a positive mental state, or as she describes it, amping her “mind game.”
“Sometimes, I let people get to me. I have a difficult time trusting myself, because I’ll psych myself out and tell myself I can’t do it, even though I’ve literally done this thing like 1,000 times,” she said. “Luckily, though, my dad gives some insane pep talks. Like, he really pumps me up…. We’ve been on the road sometimes for hours… our longest car ride was to Houston, and I just felt ready to crush the meet afterward.”
But overall, Ross affirms that it is her strengths, including hard-earned resilience and a desire to be number one that ultimately leads her through the finish line.
“I don’t think I’ll ever stop pushing,” she said. “There’s always room to grow; there’s really no limit on your achievement if you’re willing to be all you can be.”
Photo courtesy of Kendall Ross.
