Quick Chat: Chanice Porter

By John Frierson
Staff Writer

When she arrived at the University of Georgia in the fall of 2012, Chanice Porter never expected still be in Athens nearly a decade later. A native of Prattville, Jamaica, the 2016 NCAA long jump champion has found a home here, while also finding tremendous success in her event.

Along with the NCAA title and becoming a six-time All-American for the Bulldogs during her great career (2013-16), Porter also earned a pair of bachelor's degrees and a master's, in Kinesiology. She also spent a couple of years working in the UGA Athletic Association's compliance office, first as an intern and then as a staff member. She also found time to place eighth in the 2019 World Championships.

Porter isn't in Athens right now. She's in Tokyo, representing Jamaica in the Summer Olympics, and Porter will be in action Sunday morning (Tokyo time), when the long jump qualifying begins.

Before heading off to compete in her first Olympics, Porter sat down for a Quick Chat. She talked about earning a spot on Jamaica's Olympic team, spending so many years in Athens, life after the long jump, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:

Frierson: What was the moment like when you realized you were going to the Tokyo Olympics?

Porter: It was like a surreal moment because I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time. I missed by 3 centimeters in 2016, so it has been a long time coming. When I finally made the team, it was crazy. It took me a while before it actually sank in that I actually made the them. When it did, I was like, wow, I am actually going to be an Olympian.

Frierson: When you missed making the Olympic team by 3 centimeters, how did you handle that? How do you avoid letting the disappointment of that get in your way or hold you back?

Porter: In 2016, I was hurt for a long time. It was disappointing that I didn't make the team, but I was like, OK, for the next one, I'm not going to let that opportunity pass me by. I'll work as hard as I can to make the team, and that's what I did. I was disappointed though, I'm not going to lie.

Frierson: You've been in Athens since 2012, which is basically a third of your life. Does that amaze you in some ways, that you came here from Jamaica for college and have found a home here?

Porter: It's crazy. Even when I go into the weight room or the training room, the trainers will introduce me to somebody new and be like, "This is Chanice, she's been here forever, longer than all of us." It's crazy that I've been here for so long.

It's been great being in Athens, I love Athens. The people welcomed me with open arms and I'm grateful for that. I feel like Athens has become home for me, and if I have to leave it's going to be hard. I've met some of the greatest people and I've worked with some of the best people, and I feel like they're going to be a part of my life for a long time.

Frierson: I know you worked in the compliance office for a while, so did you come here thinking about a career in athletics or athletic administration?

Porter: When I was done with college, I had an idea of what I wanted to do next, I wanted to go to grad school. The avenue was open to me to be a GA (graduate assistant), working with (Senior Associate Athletic Director Glada Horvat) and a lot of people in the compliance office. It was great, it was fun and I was happy that I did it.

Frierson: Do you know what you want to do when you're done competing?

Porter: As of right now, I don't really have a plan. I'd love to be an AD (athletic director) one day for a university, so when I'm done with track I'll start that part of my life. Hopefully the connections that I've made here will help me to achieve that goal.

Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?

Porter: I can go to Cali N Tito's every day and not get tired of it [laughs]. I get the fish burrito, it's a staple there for me, and I can do there every day. I love Athens, I love the food in Athens, I love Cali N Tito's, and I love Mama's Boy.

Frierson: Of all the places that track has taken you, is there one that stands out?

Porter: I went to this place in France called Lille; it was country and it reminded me of Athens, and I really liked it there. Competition-wise, my favorite place is London, I love going there to compete any time. I love competing in their Olympic stadium.

Frierson: When you're in Tokyo, you're going to see quite of few former Georgia teammates and training partners, like Kendell Williams and Keturah Orji. What do you think it going to be like to be at the biggest event in track and see so many familiar faces?

Porter: I'm just happy there are going to be a lot of people that I know. I was telling Kendell that yesterday, that with all the rules, like we cannot leave the (Olympic) village, hopefully we can actually meet together inside the village and have dinner — just get together.

It'll be just great to be around familiar faces. With the Jamaican team, there are not a lot of people I know on the team because I live in the States and they live back in Jamaica. It'll be nice if I can just have a familiar face now and then.

(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)

Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.

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