University of Georgia Athletics
Porter Ready For Paris Farewell
August 05, 2024 | Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
A photo Chanice Porter posted on Instagram last week said it all — or at least a lot of it. In the foreground is a smiling and leaping Porter, the 2016 NCAA champion in the long jump, And in the background is the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris. With the photo are the words "Doing it for the last time."
If this wasn't an Olympic year, and maybe if the 2024 Olympics weren't in a place like Paris, the 30-year-old native of Prattville, Jamaica, might have hung up her spikes before now. But Porter, who also competed for her home country in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, couldn't resist the opportunity to compete at the Summer Games in one of the world's greatest cities.
"The thing is, I've dreamt about going to Paris for the longest time," said Porter, a six-time All-American during her great Georgia career (2013-16). "When I heard about what they were going to do with the opening ceremonies and everything, I was like, I can make it to Paris — I can do it one last time.
"I felt like I could make it, and I'm glad I did."
Porter, who begins qualifying on Tuesday, isn't just a long jumper and a former Georgia student-athlete. Far, far from it.
She is a Triple Dawg with two bachelor's degrees and a master's from UGA. She's been IRS Advanced Tax certified and volunteered in Athens, helping prepare people's taxes. She has worked as an intern in the UGA Athletic Association's Human Resources department. She's provided financial counseling to locals through the ASPIRE Clinic (now called the Love and Money Center), which operates within the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Porter spent three-plus years, from 2017-20, working in the Athletic Association's Compliance office, first as a graduate assistant, then an intern, before spending a year as a Compliance Coordinator. And since 2021, she has been the Assistant Director of Accounts Payable in the Business Office.
For Georgia jumps coach Ryan Baily, who started working with Porter in January, he wasn't able to coach her the way he did the current Bulldogs.
"The reality is, she's not a typical college student-athlete," he said. "She's got a full-time job, so how much you can throw at her is important. And then you have to take into account her age — she's been doing this a long time — so you do things a little different. You always monitor the volume."
Baily also said she was "a very powerful jumper, a very elastic jumper."
When Porter came to Georgia as a freshman in the fall of 2012, she never imagined that she'd still be in Athens 12 years later. But she took to the city and the university quickly, finding a welcoming community, a place to train and thrive, and a career. And she's not done with school yet, either.
Porter, who is interested in a long-term career in athletics administration, maybe even being a collegiate athletic director one day, will begin working on her MBA from the Terry College of Business this fall.
"I'm really looking forward to that," she said. "I'm going to be working and doing my MBA, but I feel like I can do that because of how I've trained and worked here the last few years. ... I feel like if I get an MBA, it will set me up for a better position in athletics and push me toward my goal of being an AD one day."
Porter clearly loves learning, and she clearly loves the challenge of a full schedule. After so many years of juggling school or work and training for the long jump, she can't imagine only having one thing to do each day.
"I just like to be busy," she said with a laugh.
In 2016, Porter missed out on making Jamaica's Olympic team by 3 centimeters. She made the team for the Tokyo Games, but she went there with an injury, and with all of the restrictions in place due to the pandemic, it wasn't a full Olympic experience. This time around, Porter, ranked No. 33 in the world this year, is soaking everything in, savoring every moment she can.
"I'm looking forward to competing and enjoying the whole experience," she said.
This is the end of the line, the final meet of a great and gratifying athletic career. Porter is so thankful for everything she's been able to see and do through track and field, but at the same time, she can't wait to take off those spikes for the last time.
"I'm 30 and I felt like making the Olympic team would be a great ending for me," she said. "This is my last hurrah — I'm done."
She said that with a smile. And you can bet that when she walks out of the Stade de France for the last time, she'll be smiling then, too.
Staff Writer
A photo Chanice Porter posted on Instagram last week said it all — or at least a lot of it. In the foreground is a smiling and leaping Porter, the 2016 NCAA champion in the long jump, And in the background is the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris. With the photo are the words "Doing it for the last time."
If this wasn't an Olympic year, and maybe if the 2024 Olympics weren't in a place like Paris, the 30-year-old native of Prattville, Jamaica, might have hung up her spikes before now. But Porter, who also competed for her home country in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, couldn't resist the opportunity to compete at the Summer Games in one of the world's greatest cities.
"The thing is, I've dreamt about going to Paris for the longest time," said Porter, a six-time All-American during her great Georgia career (2013-16). "When I heard about what they were going to do with the opening ceremonies and everything, I was like, I can make it to Paris — I can do it one last time.
"I felt like I could make it, and I'm glad I did."
Porter, who begins qualifying on Tuesday, isn't just a long jumper and a former Georgia student-athlete. Far, far from it.
She is a Triple Dawg with two bachelor's degrees and a master's from UGA. She's been IRS Advanced Tax certified and volunteered in Athens, helping prepare people's taxes. She has worked as an intern in the UGA Athletic Association's Human Resources department. She's provided financial counseling to locals through the ASPIRE Clinic (now called the Love and Money Center), which operates within the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Porter spent three-plus years, from 2017-20, working in the Athletic Association's Compliance office, first as a graduate assistant, then an intern, before spending a year as a Compliance Coordinator. And since 2021, she has been the Assistant Director of Accounts Payable in the Business Office.
For Georgia jumps coach Ryan Baily, who started working with Porter in January, he wasn't able to coach her the way he did the current Bulldogs.
"The reality is, she's not a typical college student-athlete," he said. "She's got a full-time job, so how much you can throw at her is important. And then you have to take into account her age — she's been doing this a long time — so you do things a little different. You always monitor the volume."
Baily also said she was "a very powerful jumper, a very elastic jumper."
When Porter came to Georgia as a freshman in the fall of 2012, she never imagined that she'd still be in Athens 12 years later. But she took to the city and the university quickly, finding a welcoming community, a place to train and thrive, and a career. And she's not done with school yet, either.
Porter, who is interested in a long-term career in athletics administration, maybe even being a collegiate athletic director one day, will begin working on her MBA from the Terry College of Business this fall.
"I'm really looking forward to that," she said. "I'm going to be working and doing my MBA, but I feel like I can do that because of how I've trained and worked here the last few years. ... I feel like if I get an MBA, it will set me up for a better position in athletics and push me toward my goal of being an AD one day."
Porter clearly loves learning, and she clearly loves the challenge of a full schedule. After so many years of juggling school or work and training for the long jump, she can't imagine only having one thing to do each day.
"I just like to be busy," she said with a laugh.
In 2016, Porter missed out on making Jamaica's Olympic team by 3 centimeters. She made the team for the Tokyo Games, but she went there with an injury, and with all of the restrictions in place due to the pandemic, it wasn't a full Olympic experience. This time around, Porter, ranked No. 33 in the world this year, is soaking everything in, savoring every moment she can.
"I'm looking forward to competing and enjoying the whole experience," she said.
This is the end of the line, the final meet of a great and gratifying athletic career. Porter is so thankful for everything she's been able to see and do through track and field, but at the same time, she can't wait to take off those spikes for the last time.
"I'm 30 and I felt like making the Olympic team would be a great ending for me," she said. "This is my last hurrah — I'm done."
She said that with a smile. And you can bet that when she walks out of the Stade de France for the last time, she'll be smiling then, too.
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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