Michelle Carter vividly remembers practicing shot put in the driveway of her childhood home during her seventh grade year—the AAU Junior Olympic Gamesome on her mind. Dozens of competitions, three Olympic games, and several medals later, the 30-year-old Red Oak native recently returned home from Rio with the gold in women’s shot put.
She’s the first American woman to do so.
“When I was standing on top of the podium singing the National Anthem, I was just smiling,” Carter says. “I had time to process my emotions by then, and I was so happy. I had dreamed about that moment so many times.”
After graduating from the University of Texas in 2007, Carter joined the U.S. Olympic track and field team in Beijing, finishing in 15th place. In the 2012 London games, she’d improved, placing fifth. In a career that’s spanned more than half her life, Carter has had challenging moments and injuries that could have halted her success.
“You have to work hard in shot put, because it just isn’t a natural movement,” Carter says. “You have to teach your body how to do it. You can’t give up, because there are so many days where it won’t go right. Then, one day, it clicks.”
Outside of the arena, Carter manages her sports confidence camp, You Throw Girl, and moonlights as a professional makeup artist.
“I have loved makeup and fashion since I was a young girl,” she says. “I couldn’t leave it behind even though I throw a ball around for a living.”
You Throw Girl’s camps focus on building confidence within female athletes, integrating health with body positivity. In the aftermath of her gold-medal win, Carter received national attention for her outlook on body positivity.
“You can be a great athlete and still be a full woman,” she says. “You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.”
By advocating for the importance of weightlifting, healthy eating, and self-care, Carter’s camps teach that being a confident woman and an incredible athlete go hand in hand.
Even with a gold medal under her belt, Carter isn’t ready to give up.
“I still have Worlds next year,” she says. “I can’t see myself stopping yet.”
She’s the first American woman to do so.
“When I was standing on top of the podium singing the National Anthem, I was just smiling,” Carter says. “I had time to process my emotions by then, and I was so happy. I had dreamed about that moment so many times.”
After graduating from the University of Texas in 2007, Carter joined the U.S. Olympic track and field team in Beijing, finishing in 15th place. In the 2012 London games, she’d improved, placing fifth. In a career that’s spanned more than half her life, Carter has had challenging moments and injuries that could have halted her success.
You can be a great athlete and still be a full woman. You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.
“You have to work hard in shot put, because it just isn’t a natural movement,” Carter says. “You have to teach your body how to do it. You can’t give up, because there are so many days where it won’t go right. Then, one day, it clicks.”
Outside of the arena, Carter manages her sports confidence camp, You Throw Girl, and moonlights as a professional makeup artist.
“I have loved makeup and fashion since I was a young girl,” she says. “I couldn’t leave it behind even though I throw a ball around for a living.”
You Throw Girl’s camps focus on building confidence within female athletes, integrating health with body positivity. In the aftermath of her gold-medal win, Carter received national attention for her outlook on body positivity.
“You can be a great athlete and still be a full woman,” she says. “You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.”
By advocating for the importance of weightlifting, healthy eating, and self-care, Carter’s camps teach that being a confident woman and an incredible athlete go hand in hand.
Even with a gold medal under her belt, Carter isn’t ready to give up.
“I still have Worlds next year,” she says. “I can’t see myself stopping yet.”
