July 25, 2024
By: Katherine Trowbridge
Pasco native Marisa Howard is on her way to the Paris Olympics, June 28!
If you didn’t already have plans to watch the Paris Olympics, you just might want to catch the steeplechase as native Franklin County resident and Pasco alum, Marisa Howard has her sights set on a medal.
Growing up in Pasco, Howard shared that she had a great high school coach and they still communicate today. She enjoyed running along the canals and especially along the river bank where she lived in West Pasco. Howard left the Columbia Basin to attend and graduate from Boise State.
Howard stated that the US Team is one of the hardest ones to make and she proved she was relentless enough to grasp that goal.
Howard ran in the 3,000 meter steeplechase olympic qualifier on June 27 taking third with a 9.07 run and a 15 second PR. She stated afterwards, “The Lord is good. I knew I had a big one in me, it was just a matter of putting it together on the day and I’m very thankful it was the day to qualify for the Olympics.”
Howard, 31, now lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, a teacher, and their two year old son. As a mother, she stated she is definitely stronger physically and mentally.
She claimed consistency in her training schedule for her outcome at the qualifier. She also shared that her eyes were fixed ahead, she had no idea what was happening behind her. Running third, she knew anything could happen and it would be easy for someone to kick up and pass her…but they didn’t.
“My husband and I, we coach high school athletes and we often talk about getting to this flow state in races,” Howard said. “You’re not even thinking, you’re responding. And you’re letting your body do what it knows to do. And I think that’s what happened in that last lap.”
While she no longer lives here, she comes back to visit and run along the waterways. “I feel like somethwat of a small town girl and just telling everybody like, you can dream big even if you come from, you know, these smaller towns.”
Howard is currently in Idaho training “relentlessly” in preparation for an even bigger race, the Paris Olympics. Her goal, "That I can glorify the Lord on the biggest stage, in victory or defeat," she said, “Ultimately I run for the Lord, not anyone else.” But she is grateful for her extended family and all the support she has in her corner.
This won’t be her first medal, if she obtains victory in Paris. She took a silver medal at the PanAmerica games in 2019.
Some other reasons to watch this summer’s Paris Olympics are the new x-games including break dancing, skateboarding and more.
The Opening Ceremony kicks off on Friday, July 26 on NBC.
Comments