Dear Younger Me: Maggie Malone

Maggie Malone grew up as a multi-sport athlete in a small town of 2,000 people and one stoplight in Nebraska.  The Fillmore Central 2012 graduate didn't have any previous experience throwing the javelin, but that soon changed as she stepped foot on the campus of University of Nebraska. She became the Outdoor Big 10 champion in 2014 with a throw of 181-8. Malone decided to transfer to Texas A&M to be closer to her family and to train under Juan "Chico" De La Garza, the throwers coach for the Aggies. After consistent hard work and dedication, Malone threw a personal best and collegiate record in the javelin of 204-0 at the 2016 Outdoor NCAA Championships. A few weeks later, she won the U.S. Olympic Trials and earned a spot at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. She's still focused on her dream to compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

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Let's face it, Maggie, you will never be perfect, no matter how hard you try (and, no, you can't jump higher and hit harder). But you can commit to continual growth, because if you stop growing, if you become stagnant and stay in your comfort zone, you'll die there.