Erika Kemp is September Athlete of the Month

Erika Kemp (B.A.A./Boston MA) is USATF-New England's Athlete of the Month for September 2021.  
Kemp won the USATF National 20km Road Race Championship on Labor Day in New Haven, CT, in her first race of that length. She had a successful summer after competing in two events at the US Olympic Trials in June, and after a short break, hitting the roads and winning the USATF-NE 5 Mile Championship in Narragansett RI and turning in a course record 26:10.
She has continued her successes into the fall, placing second in the USA 25km Championship on October 24 in 1:24:01, recording 1:10:25 for the certified half marathon split.

A graduate of North Carolina State, she moved to Boston in 2019 to be part of the B.A.A.'s High Performance team and is coached by Mark Carroll. 

USATF-NE spoke with Erika and with Coach Carroll
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USATF-NE: How did you initially get into the sport? And how successful were you in high school and college?
Erika Kemp: My first experience in the running world would be indoor track freshman year of highschool. My soccer coach at the time also happened to be the girls track coach and convinced me to give it a shot (after initially missing the first 5 weeks of the season because I wasn’t sure about running track). I think by outdoor season my freshman year on very limited training and experience I was able to run 5:11 in the mile, just under 12 mins for 2 miles and qualify for sectionals. I remember missing out on top 6 at sectionals to qualify for the state meet (Groups) outdoors that year and crying afterwards. The first thing my coach said to me was “It’s good that you’re crying, it means you care.” And that was when I knew I wanted to compete and see just what I could do in the sport. I went on to run 2:15 for 800m, 4:57 for 1600m and 10:40 for 3200m along with a couple state titles on the track by the time I graduated. In college I was able to run PBs of 4:17 for 1500m, 9:06 for 3000m, 15:40 for 5000m and 33:13 for 10000m along with one ACC individual conference title on the track and 6 All-American accolades across XC, indoor and outdoor track.

USATF-NE: Could you tell us a bit about your races over the past few months? What about your mindset heading into the races - that is, what you were hoping to accomplish and were there any goals you had set?
EK: Over the past few months I had a couple things in mind - to compete and to have fun. Racing is supposed to be the fun part of the sport and I felt like I had lost a little bit of that heading into the trials. Coming back after the trials and having some good workouts made me feel like I was still on track to do some good things. Anytime I compete in a national championship I hope to be on the podium, which is no easy feat in the U.S., especially with the depth on the women’s side. I went into races the past few months wanting to test myself and have some fun while doing it.

USATF-NE: Describe to us the feeling of being a national champion. Where does this accomplishment rank amongst the various accolades that have come your way throughout your running career?
EK: It is a special feeling to be a national champion. It’s a title I am very proud of because of how many incredible women are always competing in the sport in the U.S. This accomplishment definitely ranks at the top of what I have been able to accomplish thus far not just because it is a national title but also what it took for me to earn that title. 

USATF-NE: As a six-time All-American in college, running in big moments is nothing new to you. What race over your collegiate or professional career has brought you the most pressure, and how did you overcome it?
EK: A moment that stands out to me where I had to overcome disappointment and pressure to perform is ACC Indoors my junior year of college. I came into the meet with every intention of winning the 5000 and 3000 and wholeheartedly felt like I could do it. When I raced the 5000m on friday night I think I finished 5th or 7th… it was nothing like what I had hoped. I was shocked, angry, confused, and bummed out. But there was another race the next day - another chance at a title. I went to bed, tried to focus on what I did right in the previous race and the confidence I’d had before that poor performance. I ran a smart race and came home strong to win the 3000m the next day and could not have been happier. It was a wild 24hrs of emotions but it showed me that the fitness is always there, that harder part is the mental stuff. 

USATF-NE: What are your long term career goals as a professional runner?
EK: It’s hard to say what specific long term career goals I have because I have no idea exactly what events I will do and when. I will continue to train and compete as long as I feel like I have unfinished business and have not hit my ceiling yet. As of now I think there is plenty of room to grow and I’m excited to see where that takes me.

USATF-NE: What activities do you enjoy outside of running?
EK: Outside of running I enjoy trying new things! As a former barista I love trying different shops and drinks wherever we travel or in my own city. Reading a new book, watching a new movie, trying new foods, I love trying new things because you never know what could be your new favorite.

For Coach Carroll
USATF-NE: How long have you been coaching Erika?
Mark Carroll: I have been coaching Erika and the BAA High Performance since December 2019, so we are coming up on two years.

USATF-NE: What has it been like to watch Erika train and accomplish all her successes?
MC: It has been fun coaching Erika and watching her strong performances and personal bests across all events. Erika’s training continues to go from one level to the next and we can see from training that she is ready to run fast on the track and roads against the best in the country. 

USATF-NE:  What has propelled Erika to becoming a national champion?
MC: Erika won the USATF 15k Championship a couple of years back so she knows how to win big races! Erika’s drive to run with the best in the country is her main motivation. After the Olympic Trials in June, she set new targets for the remainder of 2021 and 2002 with the USATF 20k as one of the goals. Erika had excellent fitness going in to the trials and she reset the focus to winning road races and USATF championships.

USATF-NE:  What has the experience of coaching Erika and at the Boston Athletic Association been like?
MC: I have really enjoyed working at the BAA and coaching the High Performance Team. We have great support from everyone at the BAA and Adidas as we work to elevate the program. We have high goals for the future and we are strengthening the team with some exciting new athletes. Erika is showing the way to her teammates with national championship wins and qualifying for the Trials in two events. We are excited for the next few years of the program.