PHENOM 101: Olympian Carol Rodriguez

Phenom: a person or thing of outstanding abilities or qualities

What comes to mind when thinking of a phenom?  A remarkable athlete?  A swift Olympic sprinter?  A beautiful model?  A brilliant scholar who uses her gifts and talents to better the world around her?  A powerful motivational speaker?  It’s not often we come across an individual who possesses all of those qualities and then some, however The Heat Magazine has found just that person – Olympian /model/philanthropist, Carol Rodriguez.

We talked with Carol and to say we were impressed, would be putting it mildly.  She is a special woman who has the world in her hands – literally – and she is holding it close to her heart.  Carol strives to make the world around her better for everyone, especially young people.

Carol tells us that she loved to run and that she spent about 10 of her younger years doing so, prior to running track in college.  While charting out her bright future, she planned how she would spend her undergraduate years and she then began preparing for law school.  Maintaining a high grade point average and being involved in athletics definitely paid off for Carol, as the scholarship offers from Division I and Ivy League schools came pouring in – and Carol ultimately became a USC Trojan, where her destiny took hold.

While talking with her track coach about her plans for law school, a discussion took place about how fruitful a professional track career could be – and so it began.  The sociology major graduated from USC in 2008, a whirlwind year in which Carol saw her academic preparation come to fruition.  2008 was also the year that she saw all of her physical training paying off, with her becoming one of USC’s top record-holders – and with her competing in the Beijing Olympics only a few short months later.

An athlete of this caliber is under intense pressure and must be well conditioned, disciplined and have a love for their sport.  It is evident that Carol has all of this under control.  She is headed to the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Korea.  After taking that event by storm, she will head to the 2012 Olympics in London.

The Heat Magazine asked Carol about her plans following the Olympics.  She tells us that she plans to enter the world of sports commentary.   She “loves sports” and talking about anything sports related, so it is only fitting that she has an interest in the field of sports entertainment.

Carol had a successful academic and sports career at one of the world’s top schools, she was an Olympian, she models, she speaks to youth to motivate them to live to their full potential, and she strives to make the world around her much brighter by performing community service on a grand scale – and as if that is not enough, she is also a member of the President’s Challenge, a remarkable program that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama administer in order to promote the importance and relevance of physical fitness in our country.

The Heat Magazine salutes Carol Rodriguez – American heroine and a first class role model for all youth and adults.  Be on the lookout for Carol as she literally takes the world by storm in 2012 as she endeavors to bring home the Gold!