It was five years ago that I put up my throwing shoes and officially retired from throwing the shot put. Amazing how fast time has gone by, where I am looking at myself now with both a Master’s degree in PR and a PhD in Communications. I have seen the world through my travels and presentations since then.
Competing at the 2004 Olympic Trials
The experience that I had in track has certainly translated into what I am currently at right now in academics. Time management, hard work, and performing under pressure are just a few things that currently are still important in the field of PR academics and practices.
Being in academia is like competing in the shot put. There are lots of similarities to both realms in my opinion. There are certain rules that still are applied (ex. fulfilling the course requirements for the PhD program, publishing and presenting research, teaching) as well as expectations and competition and performance (defending the dissertation). There are also challenges that you have to face along the way – but that is what makes you stronger.
Like they say, the PhD is not a leisurely cruise – it takes time, dedication, and hard work over time. Being an All-American or Olympic Trials finalist was also not easy. Hours spent in the weight room and track throwing little iron balls, traveling to meets where thousands were in the stands and watching on TV, and So, in order to succeed in this area, you got to train yourself like an Olympic athlete.
How do you train like an Olympic athlete and translating this mentality to become a leading PR scholar? Here are some thoughts on the subject that I would like to share with you:
- Saying can’t or making excuses won’t get you far: I have probably heard all of the excuses in the book in both academics and athletics – and I like West Point’s stance on this. No excuse, sir! Same thing should apply with academics and athletics.
- To boldly go where no academic has gone before: In honor of Star Trek (one of my favorite shows), you have to take risks and become an explorer with new trends. Embracing challenges, new projects with new ideas, and taking a risk with jumping into a few discipline are just a few ways to expand your horizons and perspectives on your own research and view of the world.
- Do a little bit each day – have your own voice and produce your own work. Creativity and fresh ideas are key for generating research that can be applicable both in the academic and professional fields. This means not riding the coattails of your coach’s or another professor’s success. Academics, like athletics and throwing the shot put, is an individual event / position – where everything at the end – will come back to you.
- Train your mind and body. Even though I am done with track, I still try to be active in terms of exercise. I find that working out is a great stress reducer – I find kickboxing and cycling to be great to do after a long day working on research or teaching. Exercise does give you a fresh perspective sometimes and also can help generate some great research ideas as well.
So, in summary – welcome to the academic throwing circle. Bring in your best theories and PR strategies (aka shot puts) into the ring and give your best throw and see how it measures with the rest of the PR scholars out there.
On a personal note – today is Father’s Day, and I would love to give my Dad (Roger) a big shout out for being the most amazing, kind, courageous, confident, and supportive father a girl could ask for. My athletic work ethic and success is because of Dad (aka “Coach Dad”) and his dedication to teach me the skills and time management practices I am still using to this day.
To my workout buddy, foodie collaborator, and my Dad – Happy Father’s Day. 🙂
Best Wishes,
Karen