Jay Getty Reflects On Jenny Simpson's Upbringing At Oviedo High As She Gets Ready To Tackle First Marathon At U.S. Trials
By Todd Grasley for DyeStat
Photo courtesy Jay Getty
Less than 20 miles separate the streets of downtown Orlando, the site of Saturday's U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials from Oviedo, Fla. where Jenny Simpson spent her high school days. It's a full circle moment for the track legend who has her eyes on her fourth Olympic team, but first at the 26.2-mile distance.
Jay Getty, who coached the former Jenny Barringer at Oviedo High, has known her since she was in the eighth grade. It was at the Lake Mary Jamboree where he first witnessed her run.
U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS AT A GLANCE
"Her middle school coach was my college roommate at UCF," Getty said. "My initial thoughts were that she had a decent day on the course and showed solid potential for the high school level for the following year."
As a high school student-athlete, Simpson won five state championships in track and three in cross country. Of all of the memories Getty and Simpson shared, the fondest was of her celebrations at the end of any race.
"In her final race as a high schooler on the track, she went out of her way to convince the FHSAA and the officials at the state championships that year to allow me to present her medal in the 3,200 meters," he exclaimed. "Priceless!"
As a high school student-athlete, Simpson was light years ahead of her peers in the maturity department. So much so, that her father, a UCF professor at the time, used her as his editor for his textbook. That maturity allowed her to digest workouts and training plans and their importance.
"As she progressed, this worked to her advantage at each successive level as a student of the sport," he said. "To this day, she admires her competitors and is the most professional person that I have ever met on and off the track. In the early days, I was concerned about interviews and being sure that we did not make any enemies while celebrating her success."
Her success continued at Colorado where she became one of the most decorated athletes in school history, capturing four NCAA titles, three in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and one indoors at 3,000 meters.
This weekend Simpson will compete in her fifth Olympic Trials and Getty hasn't missed any of those moments. This installment is a full circle moment as Simpson has spent the last three weeks back home in Central Florida, training and preparing for a new challenge, her first time on the roads.
"The last three weeks have been an amazing trip down memory lane for both of us with her staying in Oviedo and training in the local area," Getty said. "Mainly, my input centered on routes that she ran in high school that matched the distances or could be used for training runs in Oviedo, Chuluota and Orlando. Oftentimes, when discussing a loop, we would flash back to the many memories of running together (for only the first few miles)."
It was as if the duo never missed a beat and were transported to those magical moments of yesteryear, the early 2000s. The time spent together also reminded Getty of a note he wrote in her high school yearbook.
"As we both transition to new phases in life, I look forward to our continued relationship in life, that one that we get to call friends." - Coach Getty
Having Simpson be one of the first to christen the new Hagerty High track was also a special feeling.
"As far as that day on the track, being able to provide her the opportunity to get a workout on the new surface at Hagerty put a huge smile on my face," he said.
"My entire career, 33 years, has been spent coaching on asphalt. Finally, a chance to benefit from a rubber surface arrived and I was able to share that with her as well. When they showed me the Instagram post (of her running on our track), I beamed with pride, number one for her, number two for the surface."
One of the greatest milers in U.S. history, with a 2016 Olympic bronze medal in her trophy case, Simpson's Olympic Marathon Trials debut will be a new test.
“I knew I wanted to run a marathon at the end of my career,” Simpson told the Orlando Sentinel. “Then Orlando wins the bid … it feels like the universe is giving me a gift.”
Getty noted while working out the last three weeks she focused on traditional long runs, threshold runs, and speed sessions.
Simpson has never run more than 24 miles, but Getty believes her love for racing with carry the 37-year-old through to the finish.
"I told her to stick to your plan, and believe in yourself, as well as my standard advice from 2001 forward - 'Relax To Run Fast.' In general, to be in the right place late in the race to allow for the competitive juices from the 1,500 meters to take control and drive home the final few miles."
And it never hurts to be back home.
"I will be on the course at our selected checkpoints, doing my thing, believing in Jenny, and helping her continue to believe in herself as well,"
Regardless of how she fares, Getty has this message for her after the race.
"I am PROUD OF YOU."
