Locked in Portaloo to Olympics: Kendall Ellis's Journey

***_{Image credit: AP Photo: Chris Carlson}***

Kendall Ellis: From Portaloo to Olympic Glory

Kendall Ellis, a 400-meter runner, experienced a dramatic turn of events before securing her spot in the Olympics. Less than an hour before her semifinal at the US track trials, she found herself trapped in a portaloo, banging on the door and yelling for help. Fortunately, someone freed her in time.

Despite the chaos, Ellis won her semifinal with a personal-best time. On Sunday, she improved even more, winning the final and the national championship, earning her a place in the Olympics. Reflecting on the ordeal, she said, “Crazy things happen right before something great is about to occur, so maybe I needed that to get all the nerves and adrenaline out.”

Her semifinal time of 49.81 seconds was her first personal best in six years. In the final, she improved it by 0.35 seconds. At 28, Ellis, previously known mainly as a relay runner, will now compete individually for an Olympic title. She credits her resurgence to believing in herself, saying, “The workouts haven’t changed, the results in practice haven’t changed, but finally something clicked up here that said, ‘You can do it.'”

Ellis is no stranger to dramatic comebacks. In the 2018 NCAA championships, she made up 30 meters in the home stretch to lead Southern California to a 4×400 relay victory. Despite the TV announcer doubting her chances, Ellis’s determination secured the win.

Over the past six years, Ellis has been part of several national teams, mainly for relay events. In the Tokyo Olympics, she won a gold medal in the prelims of the women’s 4×400 and a bronze in the mixed 4×400. However, a fourth-place finish at the trials three years ago left her heartbroken, as she narrowly missed qualifying for the individual race by 0.07 seconds. “I remember being so heartbroken,” she said. “I’d have rather gotten fifth or sixth. But it was a learning lesson, and coming into today, I told myself I did not want that feeling again.”

Ellis’s story is one of resilience and determination, showing how quickly fortunes can change from a low point to triumph.

Re-reported from the article originally published in ABCNETAU.