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Karlton Meadows: 46 And Trying Out For The Olympic Team!
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
At 46, Karlton Meadows is on a mission to ful- fill his dream of participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Mr. Meadows is aware of the odds against him. But he’s not deterred. “Whatever I’ve set out to do, I’ve gotten,” he said. “If a man with no legs can run in the Olympics...why can I not go to the Olympics?”
Mr. Meadows grew up in his hometown of Gary, Ind. playing a number of sports, including football, wrestling, and of course, track, but his ven- ture into athletics got off to a rocky start.
In middle school, Meadows tried out for the cross-country track team. He made the team, but promptly quit after participating in just two prac- tices. He later discovered many of his teammates were also active with the Amateur Athletics Union (AAU) track team, making them more nimble at running events.
Meadows’ aspirations had all but died until en- tering high school and saw the track team dressed in their uniforms. He tried out for the team and was awarded a spot. This time, Mr. Meadows stuck with it, running the 800 meter middle distance be- fore switching to the 110 meter high hurdles his sophomore year.
His junior year, Meadows’ mother required that he play two sports. He chose wrestling and – wanting to follow in his older brother’s footsteps – football. He quit the track team and soon regretted his decision.
“It was horrible,” he said. “I just let football go. I wasn’t getting game time.”
He rejoined the track team and was named to the varsity squad, running the 110 meter.
Karlton Meadows training for the Olympic trials.
After graduating high school, Mr. Meadows enlisted in the Navy, and his passion for running persisted. He competed in meets around the world, including triathlons in Spain and Britain.
After 20 years of service, Mr. Meadows retired from the Navy in 2008. A youth sports organization recruited him to Tampa and he and his wife, Le- Trease relocated to the Bay Area.
In 2012, Meadows was attending the University of Tampa when he felt the urge to run again. But it
had been years since he’d run competitively. Addi- tionally, Mr. Meadows had been in a series of car accidents and the injuries further complicated his running.
He worked with specialists to get his hips and shoulders aligned. After building up his endurance, he joined USA Track and Field and began competing again.
He approached the University of Tampa’s track coach and inquired about joining the team.
“The structure is what I was looking for with the team,” he said. “And, to have somebody to run with.”
Jarrett Slaven, head track coach for the Uni- versity of Tampa, said while it was difficult to get Mr. Meadows the NCAA qualifications necessary to be a competing member of the team he was added to the roster for the 2015-2016 season.
“He was a hard-working man who added a ma- turity to the team,” he said.
Mr. Meadow, who recently earned a master’s degree at the University of Tampa in exercise sci- ence and nutrition, said he’s encountered a range of reactions when he tells people about his Olympic as- pirations.
It hasn’t been all good, he said.
But Mr. Meadows, who lives in Riverview, said he’s learned to block the negative responses so that he can stay focused on reaching his goal.
“I’ve focused on what I can do, and that’s run,” he said.
Mr. Meadows now is training for the Olympic trials, which take place next month in Eugene, Ore. He said he understands the deck is stacked against him, but quitting isn’t an option. “In my mind, I’m already there,” he said. “Otherwise, why
go?”
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