There were plenty of athletes who were up at the top step of the podium for Team USA in Paris. Apart from them, there were also competitors who gave their best to compete for their nations but weren’t able to achieve any medals. And one of them from the track and field roster had a breakdown during the Olympic Games, and guess who they credited for guiding them through one of the darkest times of their career?

Chari Hawkins got herself into such a dilemma as she competed in her first-ever Olympic Games in Paris. The heptathlete was completely devastated after the first three events of the heptathlon but still pursued to continue her Olympic journey, as a particular song by Taylor Swift motivated her to do so. There’s a beautiful story behind that inspiration.

Chari Hawkins did it with a broken heart

Since the start of the 2024 season, Hawkins has been determined to make a mark in the Olympic Games. Eventually, she placed second in the US Olympic Trials for heptathlon with a score of 6,456 points. With the mindset of a champion, she arrived in Paris hoping for a medal. The first event, the 100-meter hurdles, saw her place fifth among the 22 athletes, finishing with 13.16 seconds on clock. However, disaster struck when she competed in the high jump event.

The heptathlete was unable to clear the bar at 5.61 feet (considered a “no height” with 0 points due to three failed attempts at clearing her starting height of 1.71 meters), something that she had done successfully before. This result completely broke her mentally, but while she was breaking down and sobbing for many hours, she had Swift’s “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” playing on her headphones. 

As reported by Forbes, this particular song helped her more than ever, as she adapted to a different and confident mindset as she thought about “the people that came to watch” her compete. She knew that even though she wouldn’t be able to win an Olympic medal anymore, she just couldn’t leave the stage and not finish in the heptathlon.

“For all of the people who were cheering me on from all over the world, they were so proud of me for being on the Olympic stage; I did it for them. I had five more opportunities to be on an Olympic stage that dang near nobody gets,” said Hawkins.

Despite going through a tough time, the 33-year-old would go on to compete in the other events, finishing up in 21st place at the Paris Olympics Heptathlon with 5,255 points. Hawkins’ dream was to compete on an Olympic stage, and she was able to achieve it after facing her own set of challenges in Paris. It was no easy task for the heptathlete, but apart from listening to Swift’s music for motivation, she also had her other support system cheering for her at the event.

The track and field star’s biggest support system

Throughout her whole track and field career, Hawkins’ parents have always been by her side. And, since the moment she qualified for the Olympic Games and competed in them, they were always right behind her to shower their support for their daughter. Furthermore, in the same interview with Forbes, Hawkins revealed that her parents always prioritized teaching her to focus more on making efforts rather than achieving any kind of medal.

This foundation further led to the athlete having a positive and constructive mindset throughout her athletic career. She has had a healthy relationship with her successes and her failures, but one thing has always been consistent, which was that she never gave up on her journey pursuing her various dreams.

“You can only control what you can do” was another phrase that the 33-year-old focused on. Always determined with herself and her athletic prowess, she has crafted her own story through her various impressive performances, supported by the people she adores.