Orji: Paris Is ‘A Good One To End On’
August 01, 2024 | Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Already a two-time Olympian and the most accomplished American woman ever in the triple jump, former Georgia star Keturah Orji has asked herself some hard questions during the past year. "There were a couple of times when I was like, How much do I really want to go to a third Olympics? What sacrifices are worth this?" she said.
"This" is training in Maryland, away from her husband, Kisean Smith, and their life in Atlanta. "This" is keeping part-time a financial planning career that she's worked toward and been passionate about since she arrived at Georgia as a freshman in the fall of 2014. "This" is asking even more from a beaten-up body that has carried her farther than she ever could have imagined.
"It's the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of it — all of it," said Orji, who owns the American outdoor record in the triple at 48 feet, 11 1/4 inches.
Pondering those hard questions eventually brought clarity in the form of some others: "I asked myself, Would you regret this? Is the sacrifice right now so great that you can't continue in something that you've already invested so much in?"
"Future Keturah," the 28-year-old Orji ultimately decided, "would be happy finishing out with another Olympics." An active poster on social media, Orji's hashtag for Paris is #OneLastTime.
Orji's talent and training have taken her to Georgia and eight individual NCAA titles (seven triple jump and one in the long jump); to the 2018 Bowerman Award; to a fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics in 2016 after her sophomore year; to one American record after another as she went back and forth with her rivals for the top mark in U.S. history; to six career top-8 finishes at world championships; to seventh in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
In February, Orji won her 10th career U.S. national title at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. It was her third straight U.S. indoor title, and she jumped a solid 47 feet, 7 inches to win it, edging out former Bulldog Jasmine Moore for the win. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, in late June, the 23-year-old Moore jumped 46-9 1/2 to win, while Orji was second at 46-8. The 31-year-old Tori Franklin placed third. Orji had earned her trip to the Paris Olympics, a perfect place to wrap up a stellar career.
Assuming it is the end, of course.
"I don't have a final plan," Orji said. "I think it will be my last meet. It kind of just depends on how the Olympics goes. I can definitely tell that I'm ready to be done, so it might be my last competition. It would be a good one to end on."
On Friday, Orji will begin competing in the triple jump qualifying at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France. If she makes the final, she will be the first American woman ever to do so three times at the Olympics.
Among those watching intently Friday will be her former Georgia teammate and Olympic roommate in Rio and Tokyo, Kendell Williams. A seven-time NCAA champion in the multis at Georgia (four pentathlon and three heptathlon), Williams finished 17th in the heptathlon in Rio in 2016, fifth in the Tokyo Olympics, and placed third in the pentathlon at the 2022 World Indoor Championships.
While Orji looked at her situation and decided she had one more year of training and sacrifice left in her, Williams chose to pursue her post-track career instead of a spot on the Olympic team in Paris.
"It's definitely a little weird (not being there), especially because Keturah and I would always room together," said Williams, who works for Visa in Atlanta and recently got engaged. "I feel like I'm so happy in the phase of life that I'm in now, that I don't wish I was there. It's just kind of like, that was a great chapter, and now I'm on to this next great chapter."
As teammates and training partners for years, Orji and Williams pushed and supported one another for nearly a decade. Williams and former teammate Sarah Gardner even planned Orji's wedding, in 2021. Now, Orji is going it nearly alone — former teammate and current UGA Athletics assistant director of accounts payable Chanice Porter of Jamaica will compete in the long jump — while Williams cheers her on with family and friends in Georgia.
"We're super excited," Williams said of watching Orji compete. "It's also going to be a little sad. It's been such a journey for her and she's had so much success, just knowing this is where the chapter closes is so exciting but also so bittersweet. I'm going to miss cheering for her and watching her compete."
At 28, Orji is, of course, by no means old. Nor is she technically old by Olympic standards. There's a shooter from the country of Georgia, Nino Salukvadze, competing in her record-tying 10th Olympics. On the U.S. basketball teams, you'll find 42-year-old Diana Taurasi and LeBron James, an ageless 39. Former UGA swimmer Nic Fink, at 31 the oldest member of the U.S. men's swim team, won a silver medal in the 100-meter breaststroke last Sunday.
"One thing that makes her so good is that she's never reached her finish line," Williams said. "She's always wanting a little bit more."
And now, Orji wants a bit more out of life. She wants to give her body a well-earned break, and she wants to make time for all of the things that she's never had time to do. When this next chapter begins, Orji will leap into it with a smile and a full heart.
"It's hard to put into words," Orji said. "I would just say I'm very grateful. I feel like I've gotten more and more grateful for the championships over time. When I was younger, I kind of took it all for granted and just wanted more and more. But now that I've gotten older and seen how difficult consistency really is, I'm just thankful.
"Younger me wouldn't have been able to grasp one Olympics — and now I'm going to my third. I'm really excited and grateful for all of it."
Staff Writer
Already a two-time Olympian and the most accomplished American woman ever in the triple jump, former Georgia star Keturah Orji has asked herself some hard questions during the past year. "There were a couple of times when I was like, How much do I really want to go to a third Olympics? What sacrifices are worth this?" she said.
"This" is training in Maryland, away from her husband, Kisean Smith, and their life in Atlanta. "This" is keeping part-time a financial planning career that she's worked toward and been passionate about since she arrived at Georgia as a freshman in the fall of 2014. "This" is asking even more from a beaten-up body that has carried her farther than she ever could have imagined.
"It's the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of it — all of it," said Orji, who owns the American outdoor record in the triple at 48 feet, 11 1/4 inches.
Pondering those hard questions eventually brought clarity in the form of some others: "I asked myself, Would you regret this? Is the sacrifice right now so great that you can't continue in something that you've already invested so much in?"
"Future Keturah," the 28-year-old Orji ultimately decided, "would be happy finishing out with another Olympics." An active poster on social media, Orji's hashtag for Paris is #OneLastTime.
Orji's talent and training have taken her to Georgia and eight individual NCAA titles (seven triple jump and one in the long jump); to the 2018 Bowerman Award; to a fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics in 2016 after her sophomore year; to one American record after another as she went back and forth with her rivals for the top mark in U.S. history; to six career top-8 finishes at world championships; to seventh in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
In February, Orji won her 10th career U.S. national title at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. It was her third straight U.S. indoor title, and she jumped a solid 47 feet, 7 inches to win it, edging out former Bulldog Jasmine Moore for the win. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, in late June, the 23-year-old Moore jumped 46-9 1/2 to win, while Orji was second at 46-8. The 31-year-old Tori Franklin placed third. Orji had earned her trip to the Paris Olympics, a perfect place to wrap up a stellar career.
Assuming it is the end, of course.
"I don't have a final plan," Orji said. "I think it will be my last meet. It kind of just depends on how the Olympics goes. I can definitely tell that I'm ready to be done, so it might be my last competition. It would be a good one to end on."
On Friday, Orji will begin competing in the triple jump qualifying at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France. If she makes the final, she will be the first American woman ever to do so three times at the Olympics.
Among those watching intently Friday will be her former Georgia teammate and Olympic roommate in Rio and Tokyo, Kendell Williams. A seven-time NCAA champion in the multis at Georgia (four pentathlon and three heptathlon), Williams finished 17th in the heptathlon in Rio in 2016, fifth in the Tokyo Olympics, and placed third in the pentathlon at the 2022 World Indoor Championships.
While Orji looked at her situation and decided she had one more year of training and sacrifice left in her, Williams chose to pursue her post-track career instead of a spot on the Olympic team in Paris.
"It's definitely a little weird (not being there), especially because Keturah and I would always room together," said Williams, who works for Visa in Atlanta and recently got engaged. "I feel like I'm so happy in the phase of life that I'm in now, that I don't wish I was there. It's just kind of like, that was a great chapter, and now I'm on to this next great chapter."
As teammates and training partners for years, Orji and Williams pushed and supported one another for nearly a decade. Williams and former teammate Sarah Gardner even planned Orji's wedding, in 2021. Now, Orji is going it nearly alone — former teammate and current UGA Athletics assistant director of accounts payable Chanice Porter of Jamaica will compete in the long jump — while Williams cheers her on with family and friends in Georgia.
"We're super excited," Williams said of watching Orji compete. "It's also going to be a little sad. It's been such a journey for her and she's had so much success, just knowing this is where the chapter closes is so exciting but also so bittersweet. I'm going to miss cheering for her and watching her compete."
At 28, Orji is, of course, by no means old. Nor is she technically old by Olympic standards. There's a shooter from the country of Georgia, Nino Salukvadze, competing in her record-tying 10th Olympics. On the U.S. basketball teams, you'll find 42-year-old Diana Taurasi and LeBron James, an ageless 39. Former UGA swimmer Nic Fink, at 31 the oldest member of the U.S. men's swim team, won a silver medal in the 100-meter breaststroke last Sunday.
"One thing that makes her so good is that she's never reached her finish line," Williams said. "She's always wanting a little bit more."
And now, Orji wants a bit more out of life. She wants to give her body a well-earned break, and she wants to make time for all of the things that she's never had time to do. When this next chapter begins, Orji will leap into it with a smile and a full heart.
"It's hard to put into words," Orji said. "I would just say I'm very grateful. I feel like I've gotten more and more grateful for the championships over time. When I was younger, I kind of took it all for granted and just wanted more and more. But now that I've gotten older and seen how difficult consistency really is, I'm just thankful.
"Younger me wouldn't have been able to grasp one Olympics — and now I'm going to my third. I'm really excited and grateful for all of it."
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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