Towson University alum Michael Morris talks with TSC about his journey to Colorado and quest to become a U.S. Olympian.
College basketball legend John Wooden once said, “Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
In Michael Morris, a rugby player from the Towson University and prospective U.S. Olympian, we have a man of character. TSC caught with Morris, again (previous article here), and here’s what he had to say.
Ravi: I’m excited to see you again! Congratulations on being selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee as an athlete invited to two national team training camps.
Michael: I am very happy with the results of ‘The Next Olympic Hopeful.’ For my entire life, I’ve dreamed of being an Olympian and a professional athlete. At this current moment, I have a chance to both— in two different sports (rowing and cycling) at the same time.
The Next Olympic Hopeful was a vessel for me to showcase my abilities and my passion for sport and competition. I was able to draw interest from the National Governing Bodies of two Olympic coaching staffs. After studying my abilities at The Next Olympic Hopeful, the coaching staffs of both National Governing Bodies decided to extend invitations to continue training for their sport, to ultimately compete in future Olympic Games for the United States of America.
Michael Morris as a Towson rugby player (photo, Towson University)
As I pursue the Olympics, I’m also in pursuit of a professional rugby career. I love the sport of rugby. Ever since I started playing, I have dreamed of becoming a professional. I am looking to begin a career in Major League Rugby in the United States.
Ravi: Could you take us through the rigorous routine of yours the camp?
Michael: My schedule looked like this. I’ll take you through it day-by-day.
Friday: When I first flew into Colorado Springs, the Olympic Committee sent buses to the airport to pick up all of the athletes. When we got to the Olympic Training Center, we completed a series of body measurements: height, weight, and wingspan. That night we began filming the beginning segments of the television show. After filming, a couple of friends got in a late-night workout to facilitate blood-flow and mobility. (We had been seated in tight airplane seats for many hours prior.)
Saturday: The next morning I was awake at 5:30 am to shower and fuel up before testing. We began testing at the crack of dawn. The sun rose from the horizon as we arrived at the testing facility. As we got off the bus and began to gear up, you could feel a sense of excitement and nervousness in the air. Here in the middle of the Colorado Mountains, we had elite athletes from all over the country, all ready to prove ourselves. US Olympic rugby star Carlin Isles and 2x Olympic Gold Medalist Boxer Claressa Shields were our mentors for the camp. They provided us with insight and support throughout the experience. It was cool for me to have the chance to meet Carlin. Since before I started playing rugby I used to watch his highlight films to try to learn how he runs. It’s cool to have the opportunity to get to sit down and talk with people you have looked up to and. then, to build a relationship.
Michael in Colorado (photo, Towson University)
We completed the vertical jump, 50m sprint, and the suffering-inducing RSD test. I jumped a 32-inch vertical and ran the equivalent to a 4.5 on a 40-yard dash. The RSD test is made to test endurance and aerobic capacity, but more so the test will also test your manhood. It’s a series of 12 complete 30-second suicide sprints with 30 seconds rest. Since every athlete there was competing for a spot, you best believe that they were giving it everything they had! Before I completed the test, I had a few minutes to watch the other athletes run it. I watched some of the greatest athletes I have ever seen crawling on the floor, vomiting, and near passing out after finishing this test. It was only the beginning! (I was one of the athletes to join the vomit club while mid-sprint. It was awesome!)
Later that afternoon, we completed a series of more tests at the Olympic Training Center’s gym. We tested for power on the rowing machines, and completed agility testing on the turf. I scored well on both tests and was very confident in my scores. After the sun went down and testing ended, we all re-fueled through nutrition and got to bed early to get after it again in the morning.
Sunday: Sunday was the day that the Olympic Committee would cut athletes from testing. If you were cut, your Olympic dreams were over for the time being. I knew that to be selected for more testing, I really had to prove myself. After waking up at 5:30 am, I prepared for testing–testing our squats, weighted pull-ups, medicine ball throw, 2-minute prone-row, and functional movement screening. I scored well in each category. Leaving the testing and entering cuts, I felt very confident that I would be selected somewhere.
Later that afternoon, it was ‘that’ time. Cuts were coming. Nervousness was in the air. We all knew that some peoples’ dreams would live on, and some people’s dreams would be crushed in a moment.
Luckily, I ended up being selected to complete more testing for two sports–rowing and cycling. As nervousness left my body, determination crept back in. After exchanging high fives and hugs with the other athletes, I turned on my tunnel vision, put in my headphones, and thought “ITS GO TIME.”
That evening, before testing, I knew that this was my shot to show who I really am. I made it to the next level of cuts, and there was no holding back. I want to win this thing! The next test for me to complete was power testing on a watt-bike. We completed multiple series of sprints, and also completed the Wingate test as the monitors attached to our bikes collected all of our statistics.
Both the rowing and cycling coaches were present. They wanted to see which athletes could generate the highest total wattage in a short period of time, and also see how long we could maintain that kind of power. Before the testing, I remembered one of the coaches saying, “This test is what suffering feels like!”
And, boy, was he right! But I’m no stranger to this kind of suffering; I’ve been doing this my whole life.
I hopped on that bike with two chips on my shoulders–ready to prove myself and make my mark. With each sprint, I gave it every ounce of effort I had. I screamed while exerting myself to my maximum capacity.
I pushed so hard that my bike started to move off of the ground. The vice president of the Olympic Committee and the Coach of the U.S. Rowing team were both holding my bike down and yelled encouragement in my face. I gave it everything I had and it paid off!
Immediately after stepping off of the bike, a reporter from The New York Times shook my hand and asked to take my picture for my notable performance. I was overwhelmed with joy and went into the bathroom to have a moment by myself–to look in the accountability mirror.
Overwhelmed with emotion I went to look at the same eyes that I’ve seen in the mirror since I was a young child. I told myself: “We did it!”
I paced around this single-person bathroom saying “Yes! Yes! Yes!” as I clenched my fists and celebrated. As I looked into the mirror once more, my eyes welled up with tears.
I had come to the realization that all of my early mornings, late nights, thousands of hours of sacrifice, victories, painful defeats, challenges, shortcomings–and all of the times I thought that I wasn’t good enough–were worth it.
Feeling the pain of loss and sacrifice has forced me to fight in order to feel the glory of victory.
Monday afternoon was the end of it all–where we found out what’s next for us. Some athletes are invited to continue the pursuit of their Olympic dreams. I was one of them! I received two envelopes from the Olympic Committee. One from Cycling, the other from Rowing. In these envelopes was proof of accomplishment and the birth of an opportunity that may change my life.
Ravi: How settled are you Colorado? What major difference do you see in yourself after this move?
Michael: After the ‘Next Olympic Hopeful,’ I went back to Vail, Colorado. Vail is where I played rugby over the summer for the Major League Rugby team, Glendale Raptors. After spending time in Vail, I moved back to Baltimore, Maryland, where I reside currently.
Ravi: What other sports have you put the focus on and how professionally have you progressed in them?
Michael: I have focused on many sports in my time–football, wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, martial arts, baseball, rugby, and many more sports. Luckily, I had the opportunity to both wrestle and play football at the Division 1 level, and ended up choosing to play football. Later, I was fortunate enough to play Division 1 rugby, as well. Now I am currently in pursuit of a professional rugby career as I also pursue the 2024 Olympics, as a sprint-cyclist.
Ravi: Are there any long-term goals in cycling and rowing? If so, what are they?
Michael: My long-term goal in cycling is to qualify for the 2024 summer Olympics. From there, my goal is to win a medal for the United States of America.
I want to pridefully earn an Olympic Medal in honor of the people of the United States and all of the greats who came before me. I want to be able to leave behind a legacy that my great-great grandchildren can be proud of. I want to inspire others across the world, in any way that I can relate to people.
You may not realize it, but everywhere you go, someone is watching. The influence of one person’s positive action can stretch to an entire village. We all should live and lead by example, and also do our part to contribute to society. If every single person on this earth can contribute one positive thing to the betterment of another, then our world can be a much better place.
Ravi: If given a chance to pick one of them, which one do you prefer and why?
Michael: I chose to compete in cycling because of the daredevil, adrenaline-rush nature of the sport.
Ravi: What tournaments are you looking forward to participating this year?
Michael: I am looking forward to competing in my first cycling competition, and I hope to quickly place nationally. Once I prove that I can be one of the best in the nation, I will set myself up in time to make the 2024 Olympics.
Ravi: Very thrilled to know about your appointment as a “personal coach” by the director of USA Cycling. How thrilled are you and what challenges lie ahead?
Michael: As far as training goes, the key is consistency.
Consistency in maximum effort, doing exactly what I am told, and doing it exactly as it supposed to be done.
But what about when you are struggling with the common challenges of life? We all struggle with loss, defeat, heartbreak, pain, and anxiety-inducing situations. At some point, tasks that usually seem easy to you can seem to be daunting, challenging, and seemingly unachievable tasks. You may even begin to doubt yourself and what you’re capable of. It is at your weakest moments that you must recognize your weakness, overcome it, and continue to move forward. If you are looking to be an elite individual–in any field–you MUST have the ability to be resilient through the challenge. Seek, destroy, overcome, and repeat!
Ravi: Lastly, what message would you like to give to the younger generation about ‘ethics’ and ‘character’ in life?
Michael: A steel sword is strong enough to last through multiple battles, wars, and even generations- some without a scratch. Have you ever been told how a sword is made? A sword is made by putting a mass of steel under serious stress. The steel is heated at the scolding temperature of 2,750 degrees Fahrenheit. Under intense heat, the metal begins to adapt to the stress of the heat by becoming more malleable. While in this state, he who forges the sword beats the sword with a hammer, forcing it into a new shape. After that, the sword is finished by grinding, filing, and cutting to finely-tune the finishing touches of the sword.
Right now, you may be that metaphorical form of steel and not yet a finely made sword, ready for battle. However, you have the ability to become malleable and change. You have to ability to see your stressors and challenges as an opportunity for you to become STRONGER—the same way that intense heat and beating will form steel into a sword. You are already made of what it takes to be successful. It all comes down to your ability to manage life’s challenges, and to allow them to facilitate personal growth.
Life is an ongoing battle. You will be tested. Sometimes, you will want to quit. Often times, people will doubt you and discourage you from your ambitions.
If you ever tell people about your dreams to be great–somebody, somewhere, will shoot you down. They will say that it’s not for you and that you don’t have what it takes–that you’re not sharp enough, not made for it–or they will use any other phrase to destroy your self-belief.
Your job is to stand your ground, and display the wisdom to disallow negative influences from interfering with your mind. You must take all negative feedback as constructive criticism and find a way to improve yourself. You must take ownership of your both your strong and weak points.
Display the wisdom to recognize that today’s pain will turn in to tomorrow’s strength. The pain that you feel now will turn you into a sharp, finely tuned, and most of all, a damn dangerous sword!
Ravi: Thank you, Michael!
