by Larry Eder
Candice Hill, “Not the Journey that I Expected,” the RunBlogRun Interview, March 2023
Candice Hill is the first American high school girl to break 11 seconds for the 100 meters. She did that at the Brooks PR Invite in 2015, where she ran 10.98 at that meet.
On June 28, 2015, Candace Hill made history. I remember watching the race and being amazed at her top-end speed! I have to admit that I was also impressed with her demeanor.
That 10.98 seconds changed Candace Hill’s life forever. She went from a pretty good sprinter to the best young sprinter in North America. The pressure, in this sprint, made the country (and continent) was and is intense. As her training partner, Mikaih Brisco told me in a separate interview that you race against the best each weekend as an elite sprinter.
A day in the life: Candace Hill becomes first high school girl under 11 seconds
Candace is a young person with an old soul. At 18, she impressed me with that maturity. Not surprising me that she has not become cynical in her six years in the sport. She is back in school, and she is interested in medical school as well.
Candice Hill has serious wheels. She has run 10.98, 22.
I interviewed Candice Hill in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 at the Global Athletics Media & Business Conference.
This is a very thoughtful interview. Candice Hill and I have been lucky enough to have conversations with Candice over the years. She is much different at 24 than she was as a high school senior.
Candice Hill has been the focus of much social negativity, in my estimation. Like all athletes on the journey to gold, Candice Hill has gone through 5 coaching changes, and now, she is in Baton Rouge, LA, with Coach Dennis Shaver.
Candice Hill now trains with Aleia Hobbs and Mikiah Brisco. She likes her new training regimen and her new coach, Dennis Shaver.
Her biggest goal is to score a 100-meter PB. She has not run a PB in four years, and that is her biggest goal.
When I asked her what she would tell young girls about going Pro? She believes that, due to that opportunity, she must give something back to the sport.
Candice Hill has three more years with her ASICS contract, and she is studying Pre-Med at LSU with an emphasis on Psychology.
Watching Candice Hill compete and speak with her, one can see her drive. One also wants to see her succeed after six years of challenges.
For Candice Hill, the journey continues, and she takes it one day at a time.
“I want to PR in the 100m and the 200m this year.”
We wish her success.
In this interview, I was not only impressed with her demeanor but also her honesty about the lessons that the has learned on this journey as a professional athlete.
Candice Hill is a remarkable athlete; she is also a remarkable person. Make sure that you keep her in your sights for the US Champs in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Our note under the interview reads in full:
This is our interview with Candace Hill, the first young American woman to break 11 seconds for the 100 meters while in high school! This interview was done on March 8, 2023, at Caesar’s Palace. The event was the 2023 Global Athletics & Marketing Media & Business
Conference. Candace Hill is sponsored by ASICS.
Please read our story on #runblogrun!
#candacehill, #LSU, #dennisshaver, #tracklife, #trackandfield, #trackandfieldlife, #asicsamerica, #globalathletics, #globalathleticsandmarketing,
