TOKYO JARRED HILL. SO JUST GETTING TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES IS TOUGH ENOUGH, EVEN FOR THE ATHLETES WHO’VE QUALIFIED BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PRESENTS AN ENTIRELY NEW SET OF CHALLENGES AND FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DISTANCE RUNNER KIM CONLEY. IT’S MEANT FIGHTING TO PROTECT YOUR HEALTH WHILE FIGHTING TO PROTECT YOUR OLYMPIC CAREER ON THE ROAD TO TOKYO. IN A YEAR WHERE THE WORLD TOOK A TIME OUT. KIM CONLEY KEPT ON GOING YOU WERE FORTUNATE WITH YOUR SPORT AND THAT LITERALLY DO IT ANYWHERE. THAT’S TRUE. THERE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW SOME ISSUES WITH TRACK ACCESS, BUT IN TERMS OF JUST LIKE GENERAL FITNESS AND RUNNING. YES, YOU CAN DO IT ANYWHERE. AND YEAH, SO THAT THAT MADE IT REPRESENTING TEAM USA IN THE 5,000 METERS KIM CONNELLY FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. HOW’S YOUR OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE SO FAR? IT’S BEEN GREAT SO FAR. I’M HAVING A GREAT TIME STAYING IN THE VILLAGE ONLY RAN THE 5,000 METERS FOR TEAM USA BOTH THE LONDON AND REAL OLYMPICS AFTER COMPETING COLLEGIALLY FOR U. DAVIS SHE QUALIFIED FOR HER THIRD US OLYMPIC TRIALS WITH AN OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TIME IN 2019. THEN CAME A YEAR DELAY, BUT WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN THE LAST YEAR ABOUT RESILIENCE AND OLYMPIC MINDSET AND GETTING THROUGH A REALLY HARD TIME, YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF RESILIENCE, THE THE BIGGEST SHIFT FOR ME WA LIKE DECIDING TO STOP ENGAGING WITH THE FEELINGS OF UNCERTAINTY. I SHOULD STOP. AND SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW IN TOKYO THEY HAVE NEVER EVEN LIKE HINTED THAT THEY INTEND TO CANCEL AND IF I’M GONNA MAKE THIS OLYMPIC TEAM, I CAN’T SPEND THE ENTIRE YEAR LIKE DOUBTING THAT THE OLYMPICS ARE GONNA HAPPEN. SO I JUST HAD TO DECIDE TO TO STOP LETTING THOSE FEARS NAG AT ME AND JUST GET UP EVERY DAY AND ACT AS IF THEY’RE HAPPENING AND BE READY TO GO IN JUNE AT THE OLYMPIC TRIALS AND FOR KIM THAT MEANT FOR THE HILLS PERMANENTLY. SHE AND HER HUSBAND AND COACH DREW WHARTONBURG MOVED FROM NORTHERN, CALIFORNIA TO FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA. I CAME FOR AN ALTITUDE. CAMP LAST MARCH SO OVER A YEAR AGO NOW AND AND THEN THAT’S RIGHT WHEN EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN SO THAT ONE MONTH CAMP TURNED INTO FOUR MONTHS. AND I WAS JUST SO HAPPY TO BE HERE BECAUSE THERE IS NOT CROWDED YOU CAN JUST GET FAR OUT IN THE FOREST AND RUN FOR MILES WITHOUT SEEING ANOTHER PERSON WHICH YOU KNOW WAS WHAT WE IN THAT MOMENT CATCHING COVID HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY WORRISOME FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES LIKE KIM BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT THAT THE DISEASE HAS AMONG FUNCTION AND THE UNCERTAINTY OVER HOW LONG SYMPTOMS MIGHT LAST LIKE I THINK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN ATTITUDE OF LIKE SMILED. UM, IT’S LIKE A FLU AND IT’S LIKE NO IF YOU’RE, YOU KNOW SPECIAL IF YOU’RE LATE ATHLETE TRYING TO YOU KNOW BE ABLE TO PERFORM AT A PEAK LEVEL IN JUNE. I THINK IF I THINK IF I GOT WOULD HAVE BEEN CAREER ENDING FOR ME INSTEAD HER CAREER AND COMPETITIONS ARE GETTING BACK ON TRACK AND A TOKYO FINIS