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The Olympian听

Emma Coburn (Mktg鈥�13) is just like you:听She dreads the treadmill and enjoys a听summer afternoon on the patio with friends.听But this former Buff, who traces her love of听CU to her grandfather, William E. Coburn听(CivEngr鈥�49), also ran in the 2012 Olympics听in London. In July, she鈥檒l race the 3,000-meter听steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials听with her sights set on an appearance in Rio. Here's our interview, condensed and edited for print, and a听longer version for the web.

Did you enjoy the steeplechase the听first time you ran it?听

Running is so hard. Anyone who runs听can attest to that. It鈥檚 often not a very听fun sport. The steeplechase was the first听time that I thought track was fun. It was听exciting. I felt comfortable doing it. I was听never scared or intimidated.

What鈥檚 the best part?

I think it鈥檚 the water jump. That鈥檚 where听a lot of the action happens, good or bad.听It鈥檚 where a lot of races are won or lost.听

So what is the hardest part?听

That it鈥檚 so physically taxing and you听still have to jump over things, even听when you鈥檙e at your limit. In other听events you can get to your limit and听kind of zone out. In the steeplechase,听you always have to be engaged,听and the pain in the steeplechase听comes at you kind of exponentially.听It skyrockets. Other events that I鈥檝e听run in, whether it鈥檚 the mile or even听cross-country, it鈥檚 a gradual pain train.听

You run 75-85 miles a week.听Do you ever find yourself on a听treadmill dreading a long run?听

Most people know [treadmills] were听designed as torture devices, that actually听is their history. So they are torture听sometimes. But when it鈥檚 really snowy,听if I鈥檓 up in Crested Butte for the holidays,听I have to [use one]. There鈥檚 literally听not one patch of dry, there鈥檚 no creek听path that鈥檚 plowed. 听luckily if you鈥檙e听streaming a good show on Netflix or听listening to a good podcast, it can make听it go by. Last winter [2014-15], I discovered听鈥淪erial鈥� and I was like, 鈥業 don鈥檛听even care, I鈥檒l run on here for hours.鈥櫶�

What was the best part of your听London Olympic experience?听

The first was walking in the Opening听Ceremonies with Shalaya Kipp听(IntPhys, Psych鈥�14), who was also a听student at the time. It was the first听time Shalaya and I got to look around听and realize, 鈥榃ow, this isn鈥檛 just another听race, this isn鈥檛 just another meet.鈥櫶鼳lso, being in the final and looking听down the starting line and being like,听鈥榃ow, I made it to this level and I鈥檓听racing in the finals of the Olympics,鈥櫶齛nd that was kind of a moment. [I realized]听鈥業 belong here, I鈥檓 not just a fan.听These are my peers.鈥櫶�

How did London prepare you for Rio?听

It gave me good insight into what听the competition looks like in Olympic听years. Everyone is ready and everyone听comes to win.听

Are you thinking podium or gold听at the Olympics, or can you even听think that way?

It鈥檚 hard because the Olympic Trials听are so competitive. It鈥檚 hard to look听beyond that. I think definitely top five听is still a goal, and eventually in my听career I want a global medal. I鈥檓 so听focused on just making the team and听seeing how my season shapes up that听it鈥檚 hard to really commit to a goal听other than continuing to be in the top听five. Anything beyond that would be a听really great day.听

Is there something that people听might not know about you, that听they should?听

What you see is what you get. But I听think what鈥檚 so valuable to my core听is my friends and family and where听I grew up. My childhood in Crested听Butte and being a Colorado person听has been so crucial in my athletic development听and my happiness.听

Condensed and edited by Jennifer听Osieczanek.听

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Photo by Casey A. Cass听