Trendy Notes: Olympian Lolo Jones’ Real Life Sprint

Field athlete star Lolo Jones has been in the news lately thanks to her being the subject of an acidic article in the New York Times where she was brutally mutilated by sportswriter Jere Longman.

Longman seemed to be advancing his incomprehensible crusade against Jones, in a way that practically crosses the line and leaves a very bitter aftertaste for anyone who happens to partake of his offering. He makes the argument that the 30 year old Olympian is benefitting from the societal rule book that automatically heralds incredibly attractive citizens who happen to be in the spotlight. Longman is convinced that Lolo Jones is a somewhat spurious character who is a result of what happens when extreme marketing and the resounding hype machine collide. He is not convinced she is really what she has been purported to be citing the fact that she has yet to win a medal and so that fittingly makes her a borderline fraud.

While it is true that despite Jones’ accomplishments and colorful titles she has failed to collect the ultimate prize, it doesn’t in any way diminish her authenticity or make her insightful back-story any less heroic. She is in actuality the symbol of what it means to be an American. Despite a rocky childhood that included an absentee father who ended up in State prison leaving her mom in the desperate situation of having to be only support for her children, Jones excelled in academics and possessed a level of discipline and fiery ambition that knew no bounds. Her stellar career so far is a testament to the strength and resolve of the human spirit.  She is definitely not a candidate for careless banter and unwarranted judgment calls when you consider how many times she has been knocked down the past few years.

Her heartbreaking snafu at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing when she hit the 9^th hurdle during the 100 meters race was a major setback and unbearably disappointing. All her hard work flushed away in a matter of minutes. But she rose from the ashes and got back to form fast enough to redeem herself at London 2012. She came close but once again her golden moment eluded her and even though it wasn’t as dramatically inclined as Beijing 2008, the familiar echoes of regret and unfulfillment hung in the air.

She finished fourth in the 100 meter hurdles and while that is still quite impressive it obviously wasn’t enough to propel Jones to Olympian glory.

Her’ inability to effortlessly “deliver the goods” gives Longman’s unflattering thesis a brusque-like quality but it’s still insightfully vindictive.

Lolo Jones may not have a stack of gold medals but she more than makes up for it in her never-ending quest for a brighter tomorrow filled with endless possibilities and welcomed challenges. Her debilitating spinal injury has also been a source of chaotic frustration and has undoubtedly played a major part in her overall performance. This is a glaring detail that she has kept out of the spotlight until recently.

Longman also cites Jones’ profitable media exposure as her undoing and perhaps her only playing card when it comes to defining her worth. If Jones is being vigorously courted by big name sponsors who are drawn to her physical attributes and growing popularity, she has every right to indulge. It’s always refreshing to see someone of substance benefitting from their status as opposed watching  a parade of reality TV dummies diving in the pool of fame and fortune.

Lolo Jones is a force to be reckoned and there are still more volumes to her story that need to be added so there shouldn’t be an incentive to casually write her off just yet. And those who have better save their appetites because they will be chomping on a big slice of humble pie.