Ryan Adams, Olivia Baker, Samson Colebrooke, Gemma Finch, Sadi Henderson and Shane Streich are all new to the Atlanta Track Club Elite Team this year, so to get to know them we asked (1) What is your favorite thing to do after a workout? (2) What is the best song to listen to before a competition? To check out their full bios click here.
Ryan Adams
College: Furman University
1,500m PR: 3:37.66
Answer 1. Drink a tall glass of cold chocolate milk, take a shower and pass out.
Answer 2. I've listened to "The Fighter" by Gym Class Heroes before every race since my 9th grade cross country season in 2011. From not always sleeping well before a big competition to refusing to give up, it perfectly embodies the spirit behind one of my favorite Rocky quotes "Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up." Even if I'm not projected to win a race, I want to do what I can to throw a spanner in the works and overcome the odds, or at the very least prove that all that matters is who shows up to the line on any given day.
Olivia Baker
College: Stanford University
800m PR: 2:00.08
Answer 1. Take a nap
Answer 2. I actually don’t usually listen to music before I compete because I like to be completely focused on each aspect of my pre-race routine from the warmup to the starting line. However, if I had to choose one, it would be "Brave" by Sara Bareilles because the song reminds me to run with boldness and have fun out there!
Samson Colebrooke
College: Purdue
100m PR: 10.01
Answer 1. Help my teammates out
Answer 2. Bahamas apostolic music and Junkanoo
Gemma Finch
College: Troy University
800m PR: 2:02.81
Answer 1. My favorite question! I love having hard workouts early in the morning and getting home after. I take a hot shower then make the biggest, strongest coffee and cook up a big breakfast!
Answer 2. It changes frequently but this past season I liked listening to "Watermelon Sugar." This song would always play first on my playlist during the big workouts of the 2020 summer while I was training alone for months. It would take me back to all of the work I had been putting in for so long!
Sadi Henderson
College: University of San Francisco
800m PR: 1:58.62
Answer 1. Stretch outside, eat a burrito, and take a nap
Answer 2. "The Business" by Tiesto- this one puts me in the mood to get to work and run fast. Another is, I Have Everything I Need by Trevor Hall- I listen to this one regularly in practice and competition to remind me that I have all the tools I need to achieve what I am aiming to achieve.
Shane Streich
College: Lipscomb University
800m PR: 1:45.85
Answer 1. Drink chocolate milk and nap
Answer 2. “Clouds” by NF. The overall theme of this song is how NF’s work ethic, focus, and ambitious attitude has allowed him to be successful. I listen to this song before every race because it is a great reminder to maintain an ambitious attitude, to dream big and that if you can outwork the competition, you can be successful.
To learn more about Atlanta Track Club Elite Team members click here.
