July 14, 2004

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Publication Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Cover story: The leap to Athens

By Jennifer Nuckols
Special to the Almanac

Few people who stop at Lutticken's deli in West Menlo Park for a sandwich or ice cream know that one of the top female long jumpers in the United States lives upstairs. The only hint may be the newspaper and magazine clippings under the Plexiglas counter near the cash register, boasting such headlines as "Olympic Portraits" and "Olympic Quest."

These headlines refer to Grace Upshaw who, at 28, can propel herself more than 22 feet forward through the air. That's far enough to make her a favorite to represent the United States at the Athens Olympic games August 13 through August 29. The decision on who makes the team will be determined this week at the Olympic trials in Sacramento, where she will vie for one of three female long-jump spots.
Back on track

Upshaw, who has lived in West Menlo Park since February, never qualified for a national tournament during her college track career and gave up jumping completely for two years following her graduation from the University of California at Berkeley in 1997.

She attributes her recent achievements to force of will and good coaching, rather than inborn ability.

"No one looked at me and saw 'long jumper.' I don't even think they saw 'athlete.' I think a lot of it has to do with your mind," says Upshaw. "I think it is possible to be good and great at anything you want to do."

In 2000, the year she re-entered competitive track, she placed a surprising ninth at the Olympic trials, impetus enough to convince Stanford head track coach Edrick Floreal to be her personal coach.

"I was an unknown jumper at the time but I think that Edrick saw that I had potential and a desire to improve," says Upshaw.

After just one year of training with Floreal, Upshaw won second at nationals. Then in 2002 she won the U.S. indoor championship for the long jump, and in 2003 she won the U.S. outdoor championship.

"He has gotten me more mentally strong and focused than I've ever been before in my life," says Upshaw. "When a coach can have that kind of an effect on an athlete, you know you have the right coach."

Her recent successes brought her a sponsorship from Nike at the beginning of this year, making it possible for her to support herself financially as a professional athlete.

Upshaw says that most female long jumpers peak in their late 20s or early 30s because the event is so technical. She enjoys the technicality of it.

"I like the small amount of very intense focus. ... I enjoy the feeling of running as fast as you can and throwing yourself out there," she says. "It's exhilarating."

Family traditions

Upshaw, who was raised in Lafayette, is not the first in her family to find exhilaration -- nor to receive national attention -- as a long jumper. Her father, Monte Upshaw, broke Jesse Owen's 1933 high school long-jump record in 1954 with a jump of 25 feet 4.5 inches.

Monte encouraged the athletic development of his four children but only coached Grace for one day.

"That's as long as it lasted," she says, laughing. "I was a teenager."

Grace's bid for the Olympics comes on the 50th anniversary year of her father's record.

"My dad's very humble and very modest about (his record). We all knew about it, but no one really talked about it."

But people are talking about it now, and they're talking about Grace, and they're talking about her greatest opponent, Marion Jones, who won the bronze in the long jump at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

The first time that Upshaw competed against Jones was in the 1993 California state high school track meet. Upshaw, representing Acalanes High School in Lafayette said that Jones, from Thousand Oaks High School, out-jumped her by 5 feet.

Upshaw was the No. 1 long jumper in the country until Jones returned to competitive track this year, after taking a year off for the birth of her first child.

"People expect Marion to be No. 1 now that she's back. I (just) think that it's cool to compete at the same level as her," says Upshaw.

Upshaw's personal record, set this year, is 22 feet 5 inches (6.83m) and Jones' personal record, set in 1998, is 23 feet 11.75 inches (7.31m). At Sydney, Jones won bronze with a jump of 22 feet 8.5 inches (6.92m).

One of the hot issues currently associated with this level of track-and-field competition is the performance-enhancing drug scandal. Upshaw prefers not to comment too much about it.

"There are a lot of the people in the sport who really like to talk about it," she says. "It's too much negative energy that I try to stay away from. I've still got to compete. Just let me do the best that I can."

Lifestyle

Part of doing her best includes maintaining a structured training schedule and diet.

She trains three to six hours a day, five to six days a week, and sleeps eight hours a night.

"(What I eat) will affect how I'll sleep, how I'll feel the next day. It will affect my training in some way," says Upshaw.

However, her regimen did not keep her from enjoying a melty push-pop as we sat outside of Lutticken's deli during the interview. She says that she allows herself to splurge once in awhile.

Outside the track, Upshaw enjoys creative pursuits such as playing the guitar and cello, making jewelry, and cooking -- things she says she wants to invest more time in after the Olympics.

But the rest of her post-Olympic plans are still undetermined.

"I'm very much in the moment. When it's time, I'll figure it out. Maybe I'll coach, who knows," says Upshaw.

But she does know that her plans involve continuing to live above Lutticken's.

She says that the people there are very supportive of what she is doing.

"It's nice to have supportive people around you."

INFORMATION

The USA Track and Field Web site will post the results of the Sacramento trials at www.usatf.org. Parts of the trials will also be broadcast on USA and NBC from July 15 to 18.

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