BURLINGTON, N.C.  —  A North Carolina woman sets out to compete in the Olympic Games for a second time. 

What You Need To Know

  • Marshevet Hooker first competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a sprinter. She placed 5th in the 200 meter race.

  • More than 10 years later, she's competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the long jump.

  • Hooker is a mother of three, a devoted wife, a healthcare worker, COVID survivor and soon-to-be nursing student.

 

Marshevet Hooker ran for Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where she came in 5th place in the 200-meter race. After her long, successful career, she chose to retire. In 2020, Hooker was helping a relative train with the long jump.

“As I was going through the different motions, I was like ‘wow, I still got it.’ My husband looked at it and said, ‘Babe, you might be onto something here,’” she says.

When Hooker heard the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games would be postponed due to the pandemic, she started training, eager to get back to the Olympic Stadium.

“The more I kept doing it, the more I felt that passion for it,” Hooker says.

Now, the 36-year-old mother of three will join Team USA to compete in the long jump this summer in Tokyo. The path hasn’t been easy for Hooker. On top of balancing being a mother and wife, she also works in the Emergency Department at Alamance Regional Medical Center.

“The moment I set foot in the emergency department, I knew I was at home,” she says.

As a frontline worker, Hooker has experienced both sides of the pandemic. She’s seen extremely sick patients and has also contracted the virus herself.

However, these challenges haven’t stopped Hooker from accomplishing even more. She applied to go to nursing school to become a registered nurse.

“Knowing everything that goes on behind the scenes, especially in this pandemic, that really aroused that inside of me just to keep going, and there’s just so many people that need help, and I just want to be able to help,” she says.

Hooker still finds time to train, with her family in tow, three to four times a week. She says her Olympic experience will be different this time around.

“Although it’s a little more challenging being a mother and wife…I’m more excited about my kids and my family being able to see me compete this time,” says Hooker.

This ambition and strength run in the family as well. Hooker’s sister, Destinee, won a silver medal in volleyball in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.