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From YouTube: Then & Now – Matthew Centrowitz
Description
Matthew started his journey to the Olympics as a Broadneck Bruin. With the support of a his coach, who fostered and encouraged Matt’s natural potential while at Broadneck, Matt has been able to follow his passion as a professional athlete. Hear his incredible journey to bring home a gold medal in 2016 and break the American record and the family that was behind him every step of the way.
A
A
Started
getting
really
serious
into
a
track-and-field,
my
sophomore
in
high
school
I
even
didn't
make
varsity
freshman
year,
and
that
was
kind
of
a
hit
to
my
ego.
So
once
I
realized
that
I
had
more
of
a
future
and
more
potential
and
tracking
skills,
it
just
made
sense
to
really
put
all
my
focus
into
that
and
see
how
far
I
can
really
go
to
sports
when.
B
A
Was
fun
I
mean
really
in
that
place
all
about
in
high
school?
You
know
we're
closer
to
team.
I
still
keep
in
contact
with
a
lot
of
the
guys
on
my
team,
we're
best
friends.
You
know
we
got
the
work
done,
but
we
enjoyed
it
and
that's
what
you
need
to
high
school,
especially
if
you're
going
to
go
on
to
college
athletics,
to
kind
of
make
a
fun
at
a
young
age
if
you
could
be
burnt
out
so
easy.
This.
A
I
got
a
scholarship
to
the
University
of
Oregon.
It
was
about
really
ultimately
winning
an
NCAA
championship,
and
it
took
me
about
four
years
to
do
that
and
that
year
I
continued
kind
of
like
the
momentum.
I
had
and
won
a
USA
title,
which
was,
you
know,
obviously
very
surprising.
So
a
lot
of
people
put
then
even
more
so
surprising
that
September
I
want
a
bronze
medal
at
the
World
Championships,
which
no
college
athlete
had
done.
I
think
ever
so
that
kind
of
opened
a
lot
of
doors.
A
I
had
a
pretty
tough
decision,
because
I
still
had
a
fifth
year
at
University
of
Oregon
and
I
just
thought.
What's
really
best
for
my
career
and
I
accomplished
everything
I
wanted
to
at
University
of
Oregon,
so
I
just
thought.
The
timing
was
right.
I
really
didn't
know
that
there
was
a
life
after
college
running
I.
Remember
my
first
Olympics
having
all
these
countries
get
together
in
different
sports
and
really
coming
together
and
cheering
each
other
on
and
having
the
whole
world
tuned
in.
Not
just
your
country,
not
just
your
hometown
and.
B
Knowing
who's
in
the
field,
knowing
that
this
is
the
best
of
the
best
of
the
best
there's
nothing
like
it,
it
was
harrowing
watching
everything
unfold
watching
him
come
down
that
final
100
meters,
he
started
pulling
away.
You
know
it
was
a
moment
in
my
lifetime
that
there
were
simply
no
words
as
a
coach
that
the
teacher,
if
effort
it's
as
good
as
it
yet
watching.
A
My
dad's
reaction,
I
think
I've
ever
seen
of
that
happy
watching
my
sister
Eagle
Desert
was
amazing
him
and
my
mom's
reaction.
She
was
similar
to
me
in
disbelief
trying
to
process
what
just
happened.
They've
seen,
you
know
all
the
hard
work
and
all
the
failures
and
successes
I've
gone
through
just
to
get
to
that
point
in
my
career,
so
I
think
it
was
pretty
special
for
everyone
and
for
me
to
be
able
to
see
it
kind
of
validates
that
I
got
a
great
family.
B
A
This
is
where
it
all
started
with
really
the
faculty
in
obviously
coach
Dobbs,
having
the
belief
in
me
in
my
potential
I
can't
even
say
for
sure.
If
my
mom
believed
you
know
they
ought
to
be
in
the
Olympics
one
day,
but
having
coached
up
say
that
at
a
young
age
just
really
raised
my
confidence
going
into
college
and
that
all
started
here
you
know
and
that
really
got
the
wheels
moving
that
hey,
maybe
I,
could
you
know
be
in
Olympics
one
day,
let
alone
women
medal.
Remembering.
B
Where
he
comes
from
talking
to
the
team
here,
you've
got
an
Olympic
gold.
Medalist
come
to
talk
to
you
in
a
sport
that
you
are
intimately
connected
to.
It
doesn't
get
any
better
than
that
and
in
talking
to
kids
about
it's
not
just
about
towering
dreaming,
isn't
enough.
You've
got
to
be
able
to
do
the
tough
stuff,
sometimes
the
hard
stuff.
In
order
to
make
these
dreams
come,
they
can
come
through
if
you
were
willing
to
do
all
the
things
that
are
required.
I
owe.
A
A
lot
of
the
success
to
coach
Dobbs
and
the
Bronte
high
school,
because
they've
kept
the
support
that
kept
the
faith
and
they
really
instilled
a
lot
of
that
earlier.
I
guess
characteristics
that
I
carry
over
into
the
track
and
field
sports
at
the
end
of
the
day
it's
worth.
But
if
you
really
want
to
be
great
at
it,
you
have
to
enjoy
your
work.
You
can
really
be
doing
whatever
you
enjoy.
Whatever
endeavor
you
go
down
for
many
years
to
come,
but
holding
something
back
and
enjoying
it.
B
B
Train
Monday,
Tuesday,
Wednesday,
Thursday,
Friday,
Saturday,
Sunday,
they're,
off
and
I
would
come
over
here
and
run
on
Sunday
LT
Mathew
running,
that's
something
he
took
upon
himself
because
that's
the
kind
of
person
that
he
is
and
he
wanted
to
be
better.
He
wanted
to
be
better
than
the
rest.
He
can't
coach
that
it's
got
to
come
from
inside
I
was
want
to
think
that
Matthew
had
he
had
it.