Anthony Hamilton Jr – Clemson Track and Field

“Track & Field has taught me patience and discipline when it comes to my physical and mental fitness. Trying something new has also taught me how to be coachable and to trust myself in any process and goal that I’m trying to obtain.The main obstacles I had to overcome were two major knee surgeries in high school. This taught me to believe in myself and to trust my own jurisdiction regardless of what anybody else is telling me. This is something that’s kept me motivated coming back from this energy.”

“Trying to be the best version of myself allowed me to stay motivated to jump divisions. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a Division 3 institution, but I felt like I wanted more than I was offered and I also had more to give.”

“Based on my experiences as an athlete, I’d tell the younger version of myself to make taking care of my body a number one priority as an athlete and a professional. Also, I’d tell myself to learn how to market myself as early as possible to gain exposure for myself younger than I already have.”

“What really got me into dunking is the fact that that’s how I injured myself in high school— I wanted to be the best at it and continued to work to be the best at what I do, after training hard and continuing to grow as an athlete, I started to see a difference between me and an average athlete, which caused me to post more often. My videos caught eyes off bigger platforms, which caused more attention to me, and then proceeded to cause more attention and opportunities for me to grow as a social media influencer and an athlete.”

“Once something feels like a mandatory job is when you start to lose passion for it. I have fun posting and never feel pressured, I know my supporters will be there for me regardless and that’s all that matters. Just being around people that have accomplished and exceeded their own goals motivate me to exceed on my own. They see it in me and that is probably one of the reasons why I’m able to access people that have amazing information to offer.”

“I would want people to know that being a Black athlete in America has caused me to realize how some people only applaud me for what I do, not for who I am. To be a genuine person, you must bring genuine people around you to grow in life – no matter the race or ethnicity.”