Keturah Orji, a two-time Olympian and 10-time U.S. track and field champion, is looking to bring home a medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Just this year, the New Jersey native was the top American finisher in the women’s triple jump at the Prefontaine Classic winning her 10th overall national triple jump title and she was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Hall of Fame.

Orji’s impeccable résumé includes winning the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships triple jump--setting an American junior record, becoming the first American to clinch six consecutive U.S. titles in the outdoor triple jump since 1974, and twice setting the US triple jump record.

Just before heading to Paris, BET.com spoke with Orji about her love for track and field and when she discovered it.

“I first knew I had a gift for track during my freshman year of high school. I used to race boys during recess in elementary school so I always knew I was fast,” Orji said. “After quitting gymnastics, I decided to give track a try and that’s how I got into the sport.”

“I tried a bunch of different events and during my freshman year, I did the high jump, the hurdles, and the shot put,” she continued. “It wasn't until my sophomore year that I finally asked her if I could try the triple jump. The first time I tried it. I broke our school record.”

While starring on the track and field team at the University of Georgia, her dreams of becoming an Olympian came true as she earned a spot at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She spoke about how the moment was life-changing.

“I was 20 years old, just finished my sophomore year of college and it was very surreal. I couldn't believe that I achieved it at such a young age. I was very nervous going into the qualification so I barely made it through to the final round,” Orji recalled. “On the final day, I had to reset my mindset. I was competing with athletes I looked up to so I had to change my mind for the final jump. I said to myself, ‘You deserved the spot here because you qualified for it. You have to be competitive today.’ After that, I ended up breaking the American triple-jump record and finished fourth in my first Olympics.”

While the world is tuned in to track and field at the Paris games, there are many other events where athletes compete throughout the year.

“For track and field, a typical year includes both the indoor season and outdoor season which happens from January to March. It caps off at the World Indoor Championships with all the best athletes all over the world in your event,” Orji said. “Then you build back up for the outdoor season which is capped with the World Champions at the end of the year.”

“So there’s an Olympic-type event every year but most people don't know about the World Championships,” she continued. “There are a lot of times you go head to head with the best competitors in the world and represent Team USA in between the Olympic Games.”

Now an Olympic veteran, Orji plans to take in the experience as soon as she arrives in France. 

“I’m on my third one and I’m focused on being present. My first Olympics, I just couldn't believe it and I was shell-shocked,” Orji said. “My second one was the COVID Olympics. There weren’t many fans, we tested every morning and we had to leave right after we competed. It wasn't much of an experience and I probably put too much pressure on myself.”

“At this one, I want to enjoy everything there is to being an Olympian. No one watches track as much as they do during the Olympics so this is the best time for our sport,” she continued. “I  want to take advantage of all the opportunities that come with being at the Olympics.”

When she’s not competing, Orji takes ultimate pride in being an advocate for Black women. As a certified financial planner, she uses her knowledge to help clients maintain and grow their portfolios. She also founded Amara’s Pride, a mentorship program with Orji’s middle name, which means “grace” in Igbo. The program mentors middle school girls in the Atlanta area. She spoke about the importance of both initiatives.

“There's two pieces. The first is financial literacy and financial planning. That started when I was in college and I got a degree in financial planning. The classes that I took in college shocked me about how much information there is about how you can grow your money beyond a savings account,” Orji recalled. 

“I began talking to my parents and friends about it. I became passionate about this life-changing information so I started Keio financial coaching, I started helping my peers manage their finances, and I tried to give people advice about making smart money moves,” she explained.

“I also love mentoring young women and in my senior year of college, I started a program, Amara’s Pride. I meet with eighth-grade girls twice a month and we talk about the importance of education, confidence, health, the different statistics around Black women’s health, and how to take care of your body,” she went on. “I enjoy it because I like pouring back into the next generation and sharing my experiences so that they can learn from the things that I've been able to go through.”

As she prepares for her third Olympic run, Orji has already envisioned what her perfect tournament would look like.

“The perfect Olympics would involve me attending both the opening and closing ceremony and spending a lot of time with my friends, especially at the University of Georgia. We have a lot of international athletes so after we all graduated, they went back to their own countries, and some of them I haven't been able to see in a while,” Orji said.

“Being able to reconnect with a lot of people from college that compete for other countries will be great and of course, coming back with a medal. That’s every Olympian's dream.  What makes it super special is that an American has never won a medal in the women's triple jump. My fourth-place finish in Rio is the highest finish by an American woman. It would be historical for me to be able to do that.”