Auburn, Ala.--Even though it seemed as nothing would go her way, she still pressed on. Kylee Carter, a redshirt junior on the Auburn track and field team, found a way to perform amid all the chaos.
The start of her 2019 campaign went off without a hitch. Carter, a javelin thrower on the track and field team, showed no mercy at the first meet of the season in Tallahassee, Florida in late March. Carter previously held the school record in the javelin at 53.37 meters which she set in 2017. Not only did she surpass the previous record in Tallahassee, she smashed it with a throw of 57.45 meters.
The path to beating her own record was not an easy one.
A week after throwing a school record at the Florida State Relays in 2017, Carter found herself on the ground in agonizing pain. She had just torn her ACL while throwing in practice. With a new coach and a new training style, everything felt as though it was going in the right direction. She recalls feeling a sense of peace while on the ground in a tremendous amount of pain as she knew this was all a part of the journey.
"From that moment forward there was so much motivation for me to come back even stronger than I left off. Rehab wasn't easy, but I didn't struggle because I knew my purpose," Carter said.
A return to the sport she loves required a new mindset and level of focus. She set her sights on the next Olympic games in Tokyo 2020, knowing that a key to success would be staying healthy. Javelin is one of the few events in track and field that competes only during the outdoor season. The training period is longer and more daunting. As the 2019 season approached, Carter could feel the excitement of getting back out there. With all of her focus placed on school and throwing, she had been practicing better than ever. It seemed as though everything was going right again, until it wasn't.
On Saturday, March 3, some of the most destructive tornados swept through the southeastern region of the United States. Meteorologists reported the tornados were the largest that have been seen in some time. And for Carter, a native of nearby Beauregard, they hit home.
"Instantly I had our coaches and staff calling to check on me and my family and my friends reaching out to make sure everyone was okay," Carter said. "My family was so blessed to not have been hit. They lost power, but that was it."
During this period, she practiced only a few times while spending the rest of her efforts helping the families back home that were affected by the tornados.
"We even got stickers for our javelins that say, 'Lee County Strong,'" Carter said.
The situation made her realize that some things are simply bigger than oneself and it gave her another sense of purpose ahead for the 2019 season.
With the backing of her community and despite the chaos, Carter was able to put on a show. Not only did she do it for herself and her school, but also for those back home.
"I think this might be what made this season opener (at Florida State) so special," Carter said. "Not only did hard work pay off but my meet gave my community something to smile about and something to be proud of when a lot of them just lost so much,"
She is competing to make everyone - her school and her community – smile.
"It is not about me, and it never will be," Carter said.
The outdoor season is in full swing and Carter is just beginning what is turning out to be a remarkable season. She has won all four meets she's competed in and is currently ranked No. 2 nationally in the javelin throw.
Carter and the rest of her teammates will have a chance to perform before their home audience this weekend, April 19-20, when the Tigers host the War Eagle Invitational at Hutsell-Rosen Track. Carter will compete Friday at 4 p.m. CT.
(Editor's note: Author Jen Dietrich is a sophomore on the Auburn women's track and field team)