Doane Track and Field alum Taleah Williams is set to participate in the 2024 Paris Paralympics and will mark her third appearance at a Paralympic Games, having competed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020.
Williams came to Doane by transferring from the University of Nebraska Omaha. In her two years at Doane, she earned All-GPAC honors in both the indoor and outdoor seasons for the long jump during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. She qualified for the NAIA Indoor National Championships in both years as well.
“She worked hard, good teammate, good friend. You’ve got someone with a disability and you’re seeing someone who is making the most of her opportunity and she outworks people,” Head Coach and Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Ed Fye said about Williams.
Fye said that Williams made the athletes around her better and noted that while on Doane Track and Field she never lost a conference championship. He felt like she embodied what Doane Track and Field represents: heart and toughness.
Williams had a goal of medaling while at Tokyo but fell just short of the podium at fourth. While at the U.S. Trials for Paralympic Track and Field, Williams qualified for the Paralympics on her final jump. Fye thinks she is positioned to get over the hump and come away with an Olympic medal.
“I know that Tokyo was really hard on her because she wanted a medal and she was fourth. But knowing Taleah she fought back and trained and she’s jumping better than she ever has. I think she was done, but one thing is for sure, Taleah has a lot of support. Once she made up her mind that I’m going back and I’m going to be better than before she became the best at what she does,” Fye said.
Fye ultimately hopes that Williams walks away with a gold medal in Paris. In 2021 Fye hosted a team watch party for her jumps in Tokyo for Doane Track and Field to watch and hopes to host another watch party for his former athlete.
“If we have that opportunity again, we’ll do another watch party and be giving her the slow clap for her jumps a million miles away,” Fye said.
Williams is set to compete on Sept. 6 at 3 p.m. Central Time. You can watch her on Peacock or the Olympic Channel.
