Earlier this year, if anyone told you that Anna Hall wouldn’t break a sweat to ensure her spot in the national team for the Paris Olympics, you’d probably be skeptical to take their words in good faith. But the 23-year-old proved everyone wrong. Just moments ago, the 2023 World Championships silver medalist came out on top of the list in the women’s heptathlon with 6614 points to her name and has qualified for the upcoming Games. But she did have a helping hand guiding the way.

In a post-race interview, streamed via Peacock, Hall revealed how the three-time Olympic gold medalist and heptathlon icon Jackie Joyner stood by Anna every step of the way leading up to the Team Trials. “It means the world, she’s been there every day,” said Hall highlighting how the veteran athlete helped her to recover from last year’s injuries. In the interview, Hall confessed that Joyner is her idol and Hall looked up to the latter’s legacy as the benchmark to aspire for.

Anna also revealed how Jackie kept tabs on the Pan American U20 Champion and updated herself regularly about Anna’s condition. “She said I’m going to call you every two days until the Trials,” a sense of being grateful couldn’t be overlooked in Anna’s voice. Seeing the support she received from Joyner, Hall was moved. “I need to be strong for her,” she said about her thought process after seeing how she received the support.

Joyner also put her eggs in Hall’s basket, as she told the latter, “You can do this, I’m behind you, you just have to believe in yourself.” It was faith in Anna that helped to instill a sense of confidence that was missing from the heptathlete’s spirits for quite some time.

A PCL knee and bone bruise incurred last July pushed Anna to the sidelines for a long time. However, her determination to qualify for her first-ever Olympics has proved to be stronger than the impacts of such injuries on her body.

Anna Hall put her health before her ambitions

Ever since her setback, Hall has been desperate to get back into the action. With the Paris Olympics overhead, the will to return to her natural pastures only got more robust. Keeping that in mind, Anna took a nose-dive into getting back to the zenith of her physical prowess. Anna took to social media to chronicle her rehab journey and exclaimed how “humbling” things have been for her. Even her fans lauded her recovery and couldn’t wait to see how she bounced back from the adversity on her path.

While Anna pulling out of the 2024 World Indoor Championships was a disappointment for her fans, they didn’t hesitate to come forward with their support when the athlete graduated from college last December. However, her ordeals last year were not the only thing that fueled her determination. During the Team Trials for the last Olympics, Hall suffered a crash during the hurdles heat and broke her navicular bone, ending her hopes of making the team.

And now, as Hall looks to put the troubles behind her and make up for all the lost chances, it remains to be seen if Joyner can continue to be the pillar behind her winning mentality when the rumble in Paris finally arrives.