Hi, I'm Dr. Kim and
welcome to Live to be Well.
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You know, I have great
concerns about athletes today,
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especially African-Americans.
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My guest today is
Dr. Jeffrey Porter.
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And he is going to talk to
us about some of the challenges
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about misconceptions
of academics and sports.
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Welcome, Dr.
Porter to Live to be Well.
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Thank you, Dr. Kim.
It's so good to see you.
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It's a pleasure to
be here with you today.
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I'm so proud of you
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and going back a
little bit, how we met.
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I remember that first phone call
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and you went to Shanghai.
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And you were
looking for a therapist.
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You were having some
challenges in your personal life
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and I got really
excited 'cause I knew the name
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because you're a
two time Olympian.
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And I recognized the name so,
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you know, that
ego got a little bit.
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And you kind of deflated
the ego when you said to me,
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"Well, you know, I
called other people
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but you were the only
one that called me back."
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And it was all good,
we all need to be humble.
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But it was a good connection
from that first phone call
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and to see you
evolve today and how,
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you know, God has
brought your personal life,
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your academic life,
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and your
professional life all together.
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So let's talk about the
journey of Dr. Jeffrey Porter.
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You know, you did not...
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You weren't born
and raised in Michigan.
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Tell us of your journey?
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So I'm a New Jersey native,
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I was born in
Summit, New Jersey.
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And I was raised in East Orange,
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New Jersey for a
lot of my early life
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and there was a lot of
crime infested neighborhoods
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that we lived in.
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The house was beautiful. Yes.
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I still remember the house.
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But my parents felt
that wasn't a good place
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to bring up twins and
so my older brother and us.
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So we moved down to the suburbs
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and that's where
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I lived most of my life
down in place called Franklin
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in New Jersey.
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So how did, you know,
you get involved with sports
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because your
father, he was an attorney?
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Correct.
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So was it something
that he encouraged his sons
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to get involved in
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or was he more
into the academics?
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Dad was both.
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He was a guy who
stressed academics
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pretty
significantly in our household,
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but my brother and I...
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So again, I have a twin
brother and we were very active,
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and we were very active kids.
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And so we imitated
everything we saw on TV,
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whether it's from
like TV shows or movies
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and that's something
that my parents got tired
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of breaking down the house.
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And so we looked for activities
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that we can get
involved and the first thing
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we started looking
out at was flag football.
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And that was the
first athletic competition
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that I participated in.
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What grade was that?
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It might have been...
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Elementary or middle school?
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Yeah, that was
elementary school.
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Okay, all right.
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And that's
something I gravitated towards
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'cause my brother and
I, we could hit people.
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Now, it was flag football,
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but we didn't
quite grab the concept
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and so football
was our first love.
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And that's something
that my dad was our coach
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for couple of years
and watched us progress
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and so he was that
main advocate for us
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getting out of the
house and spending our energy
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so we didn't
break his house down.
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I understand.
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How did mom feel
about the flag football,
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you know, 'cause
mothers tend to be,
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"Don't break
anything, you know, be careful."
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Well, mom realized
that it was either us
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going to break
each other in the house
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or outside on the field.
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So she encouraged us
to get out of the house,
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and to be with
our friends and to,
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you know, play
and have fun, be kids.
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All right.
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So now, you're journeying
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into middle school, high school.
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How did you get to Michigan?
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Well, I got to
Michigan on a track scholarship
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which is pretty entertaining.
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Because all
through elementary school,
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middle school and
early part of high school,
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I don't like running track.
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You didn't like it?
I did not like running.
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Wow. I wasn't fast.
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Wow. And I wasn't good at it.
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So I stayed away from
something that I wasn't good at.
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And so I tried every
other event on the track,
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I tried javelin,
pole vault, the long jump,
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things like that.
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Because I'd do
anything to not run
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'cause I did not want to run,
I just wanted to play football.
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And then one day,
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as more stories
tend to incorporate,
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I saw a lady on my track team.
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Yes.
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And she did an event and
she ran over this barrier.
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I said, man that looks cool.
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So I go over there
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as a young
arrogant young high schooler
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and I started talking
trash, that's what we do.
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And we came up
with a bet and she said,
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I won't be able to clear
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the boy's
height for the barrier.
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I said, okay.
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So I ran as fast as I could
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and I was just
thinking to myself,
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I'm going to
land flat on my face.
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Yes.
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And I got on the
other side. Really?
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And my coach happened to see
at the same moment and he said,
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"Well, looks like
we have a hurdler now."
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And you did.
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And so my first competition,
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I ended up tearing
a muscle in my hip,
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my first year in high school.
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So that ended my freshman year.
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That was it?
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And then I spent
the rest of the summer.
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So hurdling is addicted,
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it's because you
want to get better.
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And so I took
hurdles home with me,
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I started practicing in
the morning in my free time,
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I kept getting better,
and better, and better.
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And so I end up
going to Michigan
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as I become really good
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at my sophomore
junior-senior years.
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Yes. And Michigan came calling?
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And Michigan came,
they scouted you out...
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They scouted me out,
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they came to my
house, met my parents.
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I went out to
Michigan for a visit
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and they offered
me a full scholarship.
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A full scholarship? Yes, madam.
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Now, as you were
looking at your life,
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you know, academics.
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What did you want to study?
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You wanted to pursue
and earn your degree.
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I wanted to be
an athletic trainer.
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An athletic trainer? Yeah.
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I wanted to be athletic trainer
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because I had
spent a lot of time
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with my high
school athletic trainer
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and I thought his
job was really cool.
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Okay.
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But when I got to Michigan,
it became abundantly clear
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that the athletic
training degree program
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wouldn't be
conducive for track and field.
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And so that schedule
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and my tracking practice
schedule didn't operate.
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So I needed to
find something else
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I was interested in.
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What was the ratio
with African-Americans,
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European-Americans,
Asians, Americans,
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what was the ratio
when you came to Michigan?
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There were 7%
African-Americans total
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at the university,
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68% white and
the rest were others.
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Is that right?
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So now, you are on the team.
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What was your fastest time?
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In high school, my fastest time
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at the 39 inch
barriers was 13.84.
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And the reason
I've mentioned that is
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'cause when you get
to the college height,
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they are 42 inch barriers.
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And to give you
some perspective,
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that's three feet, six inches.
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My goodness.
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I had opportunity to go
and observe you on YouTube
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and I mean, my goodness,
you are fast and those...
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I couldn't do that.
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I mean, you know,
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they have
different heights for women.
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Yes, madam. All right.
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And we're going to talk about
a special woman in your life...
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And later on
during the broadcast.
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Now, let me ask you this.
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Your degrees are in what,
your bachelor's, your master's,
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you recently earned your Ph.D.
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Yes, madam.
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My bachelor's is in kinesiology
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with the focus on
support management.
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My master's is
in higher education
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with the focus
on student affairs.
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And my Ph.D.
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is in educational leadership.
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Let's talk about
the misconception,
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when you see
African-American athletes,
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your doctoral dissertation,
what was the title of it?
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It was between the
classroom and the field,
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an examination
of the experiences
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of black male
football student athletes.
00:07:43.09\00:07:45.06
So, Jeff, why
that field of study?
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Well, there are a
lot of misconceptions
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about African-American men
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as it relates to college sports.
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Typically, media will
tell you that we're uneducated,
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we're not
interested in anything else
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but playing professional sports.
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When we're quiet
in the classroom,
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that's because we're unengaged,
we're sleeping in class,
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we're not paying attention
to the faculty members.
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All these negative perceptions
about African-American men
00:08:07.18\00:08:10.15
that play college sports.
00:08:10.19\00:08:12.22
Now you said
that a lot of people
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thought you played football.
00:08:14.46\00:08:16.16
Correct.
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And you were on
the track team...?
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Correct.
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Because you were
African-American?
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And so what happened
many times after games,
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walking around campus,
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people would come up to
me and literally with posters
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or helmets or
other paraphernalia,
00:08:28.07\00:08:30.01
ask me to sign assuming that
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because I was
African-American male
00:08:32.37\00:08:33.88
that I
automatically played football.
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No one even gave
track and field a thought.
00:08:36.14\00:08:39.65
How did that make you feel that,
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you know, that misconception
00:08:41.28\00:08:43.35
even in your beginning
stages of your academics
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was already
there and years before?
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Well, initially it didn't bug me
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and then but one
incident happened...
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After a big game,
00:08:54.56\00:08:55.90
someone came to me and
asked me for another autograph
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'cause they called
me somebody else's name.
00:08:57.80\00:09:00.14
And then I started thinking
about more and more about
00:09:00.17\00:09:02.94
how was this okay,
00:09:02.97\00:09:04.31
how are these
stereotypes allowed
00:09:04.34\00:09:05.74
to persist at an
institution of higher learning.
00:09:05.77\00:09:09.11
And so that is
the time and the place
00:09:09.14\00:09:12.48
that began to
really open my eyes
00:09:12.51\00:09:14.85
for what is
going on at this level.
00:09:14.88\00:09:18.22
It is disturbing to me,
00:09:18.25\00:09:20.36
how many African-Americans
00:09:20.39\00:09:22.62
do not complete
their undergraduate degree
00:09:22.66\00:09:27.60
in the athletic department.
00:09:27.63\00:09:29.53
Correct.
00:09:29.56\00:09:30.90
How did you get
through the program?
00:09:30.93\00:09:34.44
Did you have
support? Did you have mentors?
00:09:34.47\00:09:36.97
What happened that
you were able to graduate?
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Well, similar to what I
found in my dissertation,
00:09:39.54\00:09:42.91
the things that mattered to me
wasn't exactly the class work.
00:09:42.94\00:09:47.55
It wasn't exactly
00:09:47.58\00:09:48.92
the track and field
practice as a competition.
00:09:48.95\00:09:51.62
It was those people
00:09:51.65\00:09:52.99
who actually believe that
I could actually graduate.
00:09:53.02\00:09:56.26
My father, my mother, my coach,
00:09:56.29\00:09:59.09
I had mentors on campus
00:09:59.13\00:10:00.46
who were there to
ensure that I did graduate.
00:10:00.50\00:10:04.93
They wanted to figure
out what the next step was,
00:10:04.97\00:10:07.54
how could I progress.
00:10:07.57\00:10:09.00
And because I used to
meet with these people
00:10:09.04\00:10:10.57
on a very consistent basis
whether it's weekly or monthly,
00:10:10.61\00:10:14.48
the question wasn't
even about tracking,
00:10:14.51\00:10:16.04
it's how are you
doing, how is class going,
00:10:16.08\00:10:17.71
what's next for you.
00:10:17.75\00:10:19.08
Holding you accountable.
00:10:19.11\00:10:20.45
Holding me accountable
at every step of the way,
00:10:20.48\00:10:21.82
and I told my
father going up to Michigan
00:10:21.85\00:10:24.95
that I was going
to get him a degree.
00:10:24.99\00:10:27.46
And my mother said in her way,
00:10:27.49\00:10:31.39
"I don't have money to pay
00:10:31.43\00:10:32.76
for out of state
tuition for the university.
00:10:32.79\00:10:34.90
So you need to
figure out how to graduate."
00:10:34.93\00:10:37.83
And so those are kind of
things that mattered to me,
00:10:37.87\00:10:39.93
and so as I became older
00:10:39.97\00:10:41.70
I was more aware of
the people around me,
00:10:41.74\00:10:45.44
and the next step
I was going to take.
00:10:45.47\00:10:47.98
You're very articulate
00:10:48.01\00:10:49.84
and able to
engage and communicate.
00:10:49.88\00:10:53.55
You don't see
that across the board
00:10:53.58\00:10:54.95
with a lot of
African-American athletes.
00:10:54.98\00:10:57.59
This started in
your home training?
00:10:57.62\00:10:58.99
Correct.
00:10:59.02\00:11:00.36
My father was an
attorney as you mentioned.
00:11:00.39\00:11:02.22
Speaking well was something
that was mandated in my house,
00:11:02.26\00:11:05.66
writing well, something
that was mandated in my house.
00:11:05.69\00:11:08.13
And I couldn't talk
like my neighborhood friends,
00:11:08.16\00:11:10.80
my father would not allow that.
00:11:10.83\00:11:12.70
And I had to learn
from a very early age
00:11:12.73\00:11:15.00
that I was
different and many times
00:11:15.04\00:11:16.74
it would be
considered talking white.
00:11:16.77\00:11:18.97
Because I was articulate
00:11:19.01\00:11:20.34
because folks didn't hear
a black male speak this well.
00:11:20.38\00:11:25.11
In my first class
at the university,
00:11:25.15\00:11:27.98
when I got up and spoke,
00:11:28.02\00:11:29.35
everyone was
shocked and surprised.
00:11:29.38\00:11:31.82
And I was
thinking this is normal.
00:11:31.85\00:11:33.76
It's normal for you.
But apparently, it wasn't.
00:11:33.79\00:11:36.69
So this was
something that started
00:11:36.73\00:11:38.06
at a very early age,
00:11:38.09\00:11:39.43
my parents instilled that in me.
00:11:39.46\00:11:41.56
And so that's why
00:11:41.60\00:11:43.16
I've been able to be articulate
throughout my entire life.
00:11:43.20\00:11:45.73
But also, entering college
being able to read and write.
00:11:45.77\00:11:49.90
Let's talk about
that, how many athletes,
00:11:49.94\00:11:52.27
African-Americans
come into college
00:11:52.31\00:11:55.64
and they can't read or write.
00:11:55.68\00:11:57.31
There are...
00:11:57.35\00:11:58.68
Well, let me
clear a misconception,
00:11:58.71\00:12:00.65
there is a
smaller segment of those
00:12:00.68\00:12:02.98
who are functionally illiterate.
00:12:03.02\00:12:05.95
There is a larger section
that do not read or write
00:12:05.99\00:12:08.76
at their grade level.
00:12:08.79\00:12:10.33
Really?
00:12:10.36\00:12:11.86
And that's the larger
section that you'll see
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.00
that a lot of
these student athletes
00:12:14.03\00:12:15.96
that come into the
universities nationwide
00:12:16.00\00:12:17.80
do not read at a
specific reading level.
00:12:17.83\00:12:21.07
And are they
prepared for academia?
00:12:21.10\00:12:23.14
A lot of them aren't,
00:12:23.17\00:12:24.51
and they will
tell you they aren't.
00:12:24.54\00:12:26.21
But the difference is that
when you talk to those people
00:12:26.24\00:12:28.34
who are not
prepared for academia
00:12:28.38\00:12:30.65
and that do graduate,
00:12:30.68\00:12:32.01
what's the difference
00:12:32.05\00:12:33.38
is because when
they got into university,
00:12:33.42\00:12:34.75
they realized, A,
00:12:34.78\00:12:36.12
I'm unprepared
00:12:36.15\00:12:37.49
and that's the first realization
00:12:37.52\00:12:38.85
that you can come with.
00:12:38.89\00:12:40.22
I'm not ready.
00:12:40.26\00:12:41.59
Because I'm not ready,
00:12:41.62\00:12:42.96
I'm going to
seek out all the help
00:12:42.99\00:12:44.33
that I can to help
me get to the end point
00:12:44.36\00:12:45.69
and that's what
a lot of them do.
00:12:45.73\00:12:47.06
Those who actually
are very successful,
00:12:47.10\00:12:48.43
seek out those
people who care about them,
00:12:48.46\00:12:49.90
that's first thing.
00:12:49.93\00:12:51.27
And the second thing,
00:12:51.30\00:12:52.63
are able to help them
get through their classes.
00:12:52.67\00:12:54.87
And it's amazing as you see
00:12:54.90\00:12:56.24
the development of
these student athletes
00:12:56.27\00:12:57.61
when they come in,
and to when they graduate,
00:12:57.64\00:12:59.41
and you see, it's
phenomenal, it's a world apart.
00:12:59.44\00:13:03.04
I notice also
that a lot of athletes,
00:13:03.08\00:13:05.71
they get drafted.
00:13:05.75\00:13:07.48
And they don't
complete their degrees,
00:13:07.52\00:13:10.22
but some return,
00:13:10.25\00:13:12.49
and they complete their degree,
00:13:12.52\00:13:14.66
and I think that is commendable.
00:13:14.69\00:13:17.93
I think that is a
personal gratification
00:13:17.96\00:13:21.36
and now that they are older,
00:13:21.40\00:13:22.76
they realize they
have to have something else
00:13:22.80\00:13:24.93
to fall back on.
00:13:24.97\00:13:26.30
Getting a degree in business,
00:13:26.33\00:13:28.64
being able to take care of
their families in the long,
00:13:28.67\00:13:32.87
you know, haul.
00:13:32.91\00:13:34.24
Let's talk about
your personal life
00:13:34.28\00:13:35.84
for a minute.
00:13:35.88\00:13:37.21
How you have balanced it
because you met your wife,
00:13:37.25\00:13:41.35
tell us about your
wife and who she is?
00:13:41.38\00:13:43.89
My wife is a
talented beautiful woman,
00:13:43.92\00:13:48.72
a Nigerian descent,
00:13:48.76\00:13:50.53
British ancestry as well,
00:13:50.56\00:13:52.73
and she is the
marvelous individual.
00:13:52.76\00:13:55.56
I met her
00:13:55.60\00:13:56.93
when she was a
freshman on the track team.
00:13:56.97\00:13:59.10
I happened to be a sophomore.
00:13:59.13\00:14:00.74
I was a 19-year-old sophomore
00:14:00.77\00:14:02.90
and Tiffany was a
17-year-old freshman.
00:14:02.94\00:14:04.44
Yes.
00:14:04.47\00:14:05.81
And we had a connection,
00:14:05.84\00:14:07.18
probably about half
way through the year.
00:14:07.21\00:14:08.94
All right.
00:14:08.98\00:14:10.31
And say half way through
because when she first met me
00:14:10.35\00:14:13.38
and we started
first interacting,
00:14:13.42\00:14:14.75
she didn't like me that much.
00:14:14.78\00:14:16.12
She thought I was
arrogant, pompous, loud,
00:14:16.15\00:14:18.59
I cussed a lot, I drove fast.
00:14:18.62\00:14:21.26
She didn't like
anything about me.
00:14:21.29\00:14:22.62
And I'm so happy that,
that has come full circle,
00:14:22.66\00:14:24.93
you know, when I met you,
00:14:24.96\00:14:26.33
you had a major
issue with profanity.
00:14:26.36\00:14:28.53
But we all have
to grow, all right?
00:14:28.56\00:14:29.93
Yes, we do.
00:14:29.96\00:14:31.30
And you have truly
evolved with that, all right.
00:14:31.33\00:14:33.34
And she didn't like me.
00:14:33.37\00:14:34.70
And her coaches
used to joke all the time
00:14:34.74\00:14:36.84
that watch you're
going to marry that boy.
00:14:36.87\00:14:38.67
And then somewhere
around the spring time,
00:14:38.71\00:14:40.58
we started, you know,
really talking and then I think
00:14:40.61\00:14:42.71
we started dating
around that time as well.
00:14:42.74\00:14:45.61
And, you know, we
progressed as a couple,
00:14:45.65\00:14:48.05
we had our rollercoaster
ride like any couple.
00:14:48.08\00:14:50.42
And then we ended up
getting married in 2011.
00:14:50.45\00:14:52.69
And Tiffany Porter is
also a two time Olympian.
00:14:52.72\00:14:55.52
She is also a two time Olympian
00:14:55.56\00:14:57.09
and she is one the
most fierce competitors
00:14:57.13\00:14:58.59
I've ever raised.
00:14:58.63\00:14:59.96
Oh, my goodness,
she is unbelievable.
00:15:00.00\00:15:02.26
Now here you are,
00:15:02.30\00:15:04.00
you know,
running for major Adidas,
00:15:04.03\00:15:08.17
no Nike and your
wife runs for Adidas.
00:15:08.20\00:15:09.80
But she left the United
States and went over to British?
00:15:09.84\00:15:15.24
Correct.
00:15:15.28\00:15:16.61
Okay, so how did
that make you feel
00:15:16.64\00:15:18.78
when she
00:15:18.81\00:15:20.15
kind of admires you used
to tease her lot of time,
00:15:20.18\00:15:21.68
but she abandoned
the United States.
00:15:21.72\00:15:23.28
Well, funny enough.
00:15:23.32\00:15:24.65
When I met her,
00:15:24.69\00:15:26.02
first of all I didn't
know she was Nigerian.
00:15:26.05\00:15:27.39
Okay.
00:15:27.42\00:15:28.76
I didn't know that her
mother was born in Britain.
00:15:28.79\00:15:30.13
Really?
00:15:30.16\00:15:31.49
It wasn't until after
the 2008 Olympic trials
00:15:31.53\00:15:33.43
that I found out that
she was in fact British.
00:15:33.46\00:15:37.07
And then when you
find out all the support
00:15:37.10\00:15:38.63
that the European athletes get
and the British athletes get,
00:15:38.67\00:15:42.50
I was like, you need to
go run for the British team.
00:15:42.54\00:15:46.01
Really? So you
encouraged her? Yes.
00:15:46.04\00:15:47.94
Because it's more
financially feasible
00:15:47.98\00:15:50.41
and especially in
this professional realm
00:15:50.45\00:15:51.91
of track and field.
00:15:51.95\00:15:53.28
All right.
00:15:53.31\00:15:54.88
Her goal is to
become that gold medal?
00:15:54.92\00:15:58.09
Yes, yes. She
wants that gold medal.
00:15:58.12\00:15:59.45
She wants that gold medal.
00:15:59.49\00:16:00.82
You know, now you
are, you are her coach now.
00:16:00.86\00:16:02.82
Yes. And you recently retired.
00:16:02.86\00:16:04.43
Yes, madam.
00:16:04.46\00:16:05.79
And so you're preparing
now for the World Champions.
00:16:05.83\00:16:09.56
Yes, I'm getting her ready
for the World Championships,
00:16:09.60\00:16:11.63
they would be London on
August 5th through the 12th.
00:16:11.67\00:16:15.64
How did you or
how are you balancing,
00:16:15.67\00:16:18.51
you know, your professional life
00:16:18.54\00:16:20.41
with marriage?
00:16:20.44\00:16:21.78
You know,
because when I met you,
00:16:21.81\00:16:23.31
there were some concerns.
00:16:23.35\00:16:24.81
How are you now
balancing things?
00:16:24.85\00:16:27.78
Well, part of it is
because we've learned
00:16:27.82\00:16:30.25
and you taught me how
to compartmentalize things.
00:16:30.29\00:16:33.76
You know, when
work ends, work ends,
00:16:33.79\00:16:35.92
I'm not trying
to take work home.
00:16:35.96\00:16:38.26
You know, when
track ends, track ends,
00:16:38.29\00:16:40.16
and I can't take track home.
00:16:40.20\00:16:41.70
Because the things I
say to my wife on the track,
00:16:41.73\00:16:44.70
I would never say
it to her at home.
00:16:44.73\00:16:46.37
That's right.
00:16:46.40\00:16:47.74
And we have to work
together to make sure
00:16:47.77\00:16:50.21
that those
things don't bleed over.
00:16:50.24\00:16:51.87
Because when practice is
over and I call it a day,
00:16:51.91\00:16:54.54
I can go back to
being husband Jeff.
00:16:54.58\00:16:55.91
That's right.
00:16:55.94\00:16:57.28
Because Coach Jeff is
very hard on my athlete.
00:16:57.31\00:16:59.31
Yes.
00:16:59.35\00:17:00.68
But husband Jeff has
to be much more nurturing,
00:17:00.72\00:17:02.55
much more
attentive to her needs.
00:17:02.58\00:17:05.39
And so it's been very
challenging dealing with,
00:17:05.42\00:17:07.66
you know, at
that point in school,
00:17:07.69\00:17:09.26
and then running.
00:17:09.29\00:17:10.63
But now dealing with,
00:17:10.66\00:17:11.99
you know, work
and then coaching.
00:17:12.03\00:17:13.36
Yes. It's still challenging.
00:17:13.40\00:17:15.40
Because she also has
earned her doctorate in...?
00:17:15.43\00:17:19.00
Oh, yes, in
pharmacy. In pharmacy.
00:17:19.03\00:17:20.57
So she is a
doctorate in pharmacy.
00:17:20.60\00:17:21.94
So I just married
a very smart woman,
00:17:21.97\00:17:24.41
who doesn't take any nonsense
especially from her husband.
00:17:24.44\00:17:27.38
Yeah. Except on the track.
00:17:27.41\00:17:28.74
Yeah, on the track.
00:17:28.78\00:17:30.11
So do you cook and
wash and change the linen,
00:17:30.15\00:17:33.45
do you do all of that?
00:17:33.48\00:17:35.28
So I do none of the cooking.
00:17:35.32\00:17:36.65
You don't want me
to do the cooking.
00:17:36.69\00:17:38.02
No cooking. I do barbecuing.
00:17:38.05\00:17:39.39
You do barbecuing. And baking.
00:17:39.42\00:17:40.76
And baking. And I do the dishes.
00:17:40.79\00:17:42.52
All right. Laundry?
00:17:42.56\00:17:44.49
I used to do the laundry. Why?
00:17:44.53\00:17:46.29
Did you change
the whites to pink,
00:17:46.33\00:17:48.00
something like that?
00:17:48.03\00:17:49.36
Yes. Something happened.
00:17:49.40\00:17:51.17
Something happened and
so I don't do the laundry.
00:17:51.20\00:17:52.73
You don't do
the laundry anymore.
00:17:52.77\00:17:54.10
But again, so she
does a lot of the laundry
00:17:54.14\00:17:56.91
but I still help her,
00:17:56.94\00:17:58.27
especially if she is slaving
00:17:58.31\00:17:59.87
over a hot stove as
the expression goes.
00:17:59.91\00:18:03.58
I come home, then I
do the dishes for her.
00:18:03.61\00:18:05.65
So we kind of
back and trade off.
00:18:05.68\00:18:07.42
But, you know,
she is gone a lot,
00:18:07.45\00:18:09.62
you were gone a lot.
00:18:09.65\00:18:11.32
You all were, you
know, talking by phone,
00:18:11.35\00:18:15.86
it would be weeks and
there have been months
00:18:15.89\00:18:18.63
that you've gone
without seeing your wife.
00:18:18.66\00:18:21.73
And it's very difficult,
how did you get through that?
00:18:21.76\00:18:24.67
One of the
beauties of being a veteran
00:18:24.70\00:18:27.90
in track and field
00:18:27.94\00:18:29.27
is that I'm able to
now coordinate my schedule
00:18:29.30\00:18:32.01
with hers a little bit more.
00:18:32.04\00:18:33.48
So we used to meet up at places
around the world which was fun.
00:18:33.51\00:18:38.08
We used to meet up
in the Czech Republic,
00:18:38.11\00:18:40.48
some places in Monaco, we
used to meet up in Germany,
00:18:40.52\00:18:43.15
and a variety of different folk,
00:18:43.18\00:18:44.55
London is another place
00:18:44.59\00:18:45.92
where we could actually have
the meets pay for our travel,
00:18:45.95\00:18:48.89
or we could stay together,
be there for a period of days.
00:18:48.92\00:18:51.56
And so we tried to
negotiate our travel,
00:18:51.59\00:18:54.16
where I would go somewhere
00:18:54.20\00:18:55.96
and then she would come with me.
00:18:56.00\00:18:58.53
You are proud of
your wife. Very much so.
00:18:58.57\00:19:00.44
And you love your
wife. Very much so.
00:19:00.47\00:19:02.10
What's next for you and Tiffany?
00:19:02.14\00:19:04.87
Well, after London,
00:19:04.91\00:19:07.21
where the conversation of
starting a family comes up.
00:19:07.24\00:19:10.38
That's one of the things
00:19:10.41\00:19:11.75
that we're going
to be talking about.
00:19:11.78\00:19:13.92
Tiffany is a
strong willed individual.
00:19:13.95\00:19:17.55
So she wants to
work in the pharmacy
00:19:17.59\00:19:19.52
and we are
looking at opportunities
00:19:19.55\00:19:21.26
for investments here and there.
00:19:21.29\00:19:23.19
I'm going to
start writing a book.
00:19:23.22\00:19:24.56
Yes, yes.
00:19:24.59\00:19:25.93
So there's a lot of
things going on right now,
00:19:25.96\00:19:27.33
we're just trying to figure out
00:19:27.36\00:19:28.70
how to piece this all together
into a nice beautiful puzzle.
00:19:28.73\00:19:33.20
But I want people to know
00:19:33.23\00:19:35.00
that it has not
all been easy for Jeff?
00:19:35.04\00:19:36.84
No.
00:19:36.87\00:19:38.21
During a very
special time for you,
00:19:38.24\00:19:40.44
you lost your father?
00:19:40.48\00:19:41.81
Correct. Let's talk about that?
00:19:41.84\00:19:43.18
I was...
00:19:43.21\00:19:44.55
It was 2006,
00:19:44.58\00:19:45.91
my father was diagnosed
with cancer in December, 2016,
00:19:45.95\00:19:48.95
excuse me, no, 2006, he
was diagnosed with cancer.
00:19:48.98\00:19:52.02
My mother told me
that it was stage four
00:19:52.05\00:19:55.72
and at that I didn't
know what stage four meant.
00:19:55.76\00:19:58.43
And so dad used
to travel with us
00:19:58.46\00:20:01.40
and he went to
the NCA Championship
00:20:01.43\00:20:02.93
with me in 2007.
00:20:02.96\00:20:05.40
And I won that championship,
00:20:05.43\00:20:07.60
but dad progressively got worse.
00:20:07.64\00:20:09.80
Dad got lung cancer
00:20:09.84\00:20:11.17
because he was
in New York on 9/11.
00:20:11.21\00:20:14.08
And all those
fumes and a lot of things
00:20:14.11\00:20:16.34
that first responded
to him, he dealt with.
00:20:16.38\00:20:18.45
Really?
00:20:18.48\00:20:19.81
So that's why the cancer
spread so fast, so rapidly.
00:20:19.85\00:20:22.32
By the time I saw him,
00:20:22.35\00:20:23.69
the last time I saw my
father was in June of 2008,
00:20:23.72\00:20:29.39
he came to the Olympian trials.
00:20:29.42\00:20:30.83
Yes.
00:20:30.86\00:20:32.19
And he was the
biggest fan that I have.
00:20:32.23\00:20:34.10
I didn't realize how sick he was
00:20:34.13\00:20:35.90
'cause I saw him
with an oxygen tank,
00:20:35.93\00:20:37.27
he had lost 50
pounds at that point.
00:20:37.30\00:20:39.20
Was that in London?
00:20:39.23\00:20:40.57
No, the Olympic
trials were in Oregon.
00:20:40.60\00:20:41.94
It was in Oregon
and he was there.
00:20:41.97\00:20:43.30
He came there and
his oxygen taken off
00:20:43.34\00:20:45.74
as a proud father to
watch his son do something
00:20:45.77\00:20:48.14
that no one thought we could do.
00:20:48.18\00:20:49.91
And I didn't went that far,
00:20:49.94\00:20:51.68
I made it around
to the second round.
00:20:51.71\00:20:54.02
But he was still
there and he was still proud
00:20:54.05\00:20:55.78
and that was the
last time I saw him
00:20:55.82\00:20:57.35
because he passed
August 13th of 2008.
00:20:57.39\00:21:01.02
I'm so sorry.
00:21:01.06\00:21:02.56
And that was
very difficult for you
00:21:02.59\00:21:04.79
and the support that he gave you
00:21:04.83\00:21:07.10
and now your
mother is in New Jersey,
00:21:07.13\00:21:10.57
you have siblings
who are all successful.
00:21:10.60\00:21:13.54
You're a proud
uncle of several children.
00:21:13.57\00:21:16.34
Several nieces and nephews.
00:21:16.37\00:21:18.87
I think that one
of the major concerns
00:21:18.91\00:21:22.18
I have when I first met
you, that God was not a factor.
00:21:22.21\00:21:27.55
You knew, you talked
about it, even we began to pray.
00:21:27.58\00:21:30.62
But as you evolved,
you would say to me,
00:21:30.65\00:21:32.39
"Dr. Kim, we didn't pray."
00:21:32.42\00:21:35.19
And it touched my heart.
00:21:35.22\00:21:37.43
How important now
is God in your life?
00:21:37.46\00:21:40.63
And I'm not saying
because of Christian counseling
00:21:40.66\00:21:42.50
and you met me, it was all God.
00:21:42.53\00:21:44.70
It's God who
receives all the glory.
00:21:44.73\00:21:47.84
The impact of God in my
life is always retrospect.
00:21:47.87\00:21:51.41
You never realize
00:21:51.44\00:21:53.11
why you're going
through something
00:21:53.14\00:21:54.48
that God is there.
00:21:54.51\00:21:55.84
But if you look back,
00:21:55.88\00:21:57.21
you realize that
He had never left you.
00:21:57.25\00:21:58.58
Yes.
00:21:58.61\00:21:59.95
You know, God is...
00:21:59.98\00:22:01.32
Christianity and being in church
00:22:01.35\00:22:02.68
has always been
a part of my life.
00:22:02.72\00:22:04.05
But it's not until
life hits you real hard
00:22:04.09\00:22:05.59
that you start to realize
00:22:05.62\00:22:06.96
that you're not strong
enough to hold on to this.
00:22:06.99\00:22:09.92
And, you know,
after my father died,
00:22:09.96\00:22:11.86
it was too much at
that point of my life.
00:22:11.89\00:22:13.70
Yes.
00:22:13.73\00:22:15.06
You know, trying to
deal with my mother,
00:22:15.10\00:22:16.43
make sure she was
okay, and then moving,
00:22:16.46\00:22:17.80
and I'm trying to figure
out this track and field thing,
00:22:17.83\00:22:20.50
starting to go
to graduate school,
00:22:20.54\00:22:21.90
and actually trying to
think about getting married,
00:22:21.94\00:22:24.04
and getting married,
00:22:24.07\00:22:25.41
and it was just a lot
of emotional baggage for me
00:22:25.44\00:22:28.38
to deal with.
00:22:28.41\00:22:29.74
And when I look back on it now,
00:22:29.78\00:22:31.81
the fact, the thing
that really helped me
00:22:31.85\00:22:34.32
was that peace.
00:22:34.35\00:22:36.25
The peace that God gives you
00:22:36.28\00:22:37.62
because I don't
look at me saying,
00:22:37.65\00:22:42.19
I've done xyz.
00:22:42.22\00:22:44.69
I looked at me as
someone who was a mess,
00:22:44.73\00:22:48.40
I had a loathe dream
00:22:48.43\00:22:50.23
and God saw fit
in His divine plan
00:22:50.27\00:22:52.10
to bring me through to the end.
00:22:52.13\00:22:54.60
No one would have
thought sitting here today
00:22:54.64\00:22:57.07
that I would be a two
time Olympian with a Ph.D.
00:22:57.11\00:22:59.51
That was not my plan.
00:22:59.54\00:23:00.88
Yes.
00:23:00.91\00:23:02.51
But it was in
God's plan. Yes, yes.
00:23:02.54\00:23:04.81
And so when I look
back on how I have been able
00:23:04.85\00:23:08.82
to stand here so long,
00:23:08.85\00:23:11.65
you know, that
Christian song all you got
00:23:11.69\00:23:13.49
to do is just stand.
00:23:13.52\00:23:14.86
That's all I've done in my life
00:23:14.89\00:23:16.22
is persevere and stand.
00:23:16.26\00:23:17.59
Yes.
00:23:17.63\00:23:18.96
And those are the kind of things
00:23:18.99\00:23:20.33
that had mattered,
00:23:20.36\00:23:21.70
and my relationship with
God has gone so much better now.
00:23:21.73\00:23:23.06
Yes.
00:23:23.10\00:23:24.43
I'm still a work in
progress. Yes, you are.
00:23:24.47\00:23:25.80
We all are, we all
are. Only God is perfect.
00:23:25.83\00:23:27.44
But it has been a
marvelous journey to see
00:23:27.47\00:23:32.21
where I've come from,
where I am, and where...
00:23:32.24\00:23:36.34
That journey if
I look back on it,
00:23:36.38\00:23:38.45
only prepared for
what's going next.
00:23:38.48\00:23:40.32
I surprised you
when you defended.
00:23:40.35\00:23:42.32
Yes, you did.
00:23:42.35\00:23:43.69
Your doctoral dissertation,
00:23:43.72\00:23:45.05
your wife called me and
told me that you were defending
00:23:45.09\00:23:47.96
because I don't
know what happened
00:23:47.99\00:23:49.39
that I didn't
get a call from you
00:23:49.42\00:23:51.19
but that's okay.
00:23:51.23\00:23:52.79
And I walked in
and your face was like,
00:23:52.83\00:23:56.16
you know, my
goodness, you are here.
00:23:56.20\00:23:58.60
I had to be there
00:23:58.63\00:24:00.10
because I remember
the day you started,
00:24:00.14\00:24:03.20
I remember some of
those difficult classes,
00:24:03.24\00:24:06.14
those papers, we pray together.
00:24:06.17\00:24:09.31
I mean, I was just asking God
00:24:09.34\00:24:11.98
to give you the
wisdom and the words,
00:24:12.01\00:24:13.95
and being an
African-American male,
00:24:13.98\00:24:17.19
and the
challenges that go with that
00:24:17.22\00:24:19.69
and to see you endure
the test, the Bible says,
00:24:19.72\00:24:22.62
"The race is not given
to the swift nor the strong,
00:24:22.66\00:24:25.89
but to those who endure."
00:24:25.93\00:24:27.66
And I remember saying
to you that Hebrews 11:1,
00:24:27.70\00:24:30.63
"Faith is a
substance of things hope for,
00:24:30.67\00:24:33.17
the evidence of
things not seen."
00:24:33.20\00:24:35.27
But in Hebrews 11:6,
00:24:35.30\00:24:37.24
"Without faith it's
impossible to please Him
00:24:37.27\00:24:39.64
and He is a rewarder to
them that diligently seek Him."
00:24:39.67\00:24:43.51
And that is all I
wanted to share with you,
00:24:43.55\00:24:45.81
Jeff, through this
journey, being your doctor,
00:24:45.85\00:24:48.15
being your therapist, to
give your life to Christ,
00:24:48.18\00:24:51.39
and God will do the rest.
00:24:51.42\00:24:53.39
And as I look at you today,
00:24:53.42\00:24:54.76
you know, I don't
want to start crying.
00:24:54.79\00:24:56.42
I'm just so
happy in the Lord that,
00:24:56.46\00:24:59.49
you know, you want to be saved,
00:24:59.53\00:25:00.86
you want to see
Jesus when He comes,
00:25:00.90\00:25:02.86
you want to be able
to thank Him personally
00:25:02.90\00:25:06.27
for all that He
has done for you.
00:25:06.30\00:25:08.20
I just want to
encourage you, it's not over.
00:25:08.24\00:25:11.47
No.
00:25:11.51\00:25:12.84
You'll continue
to live to be well,
00:25:12.87\00:25:14.98
and as long as you
stay on the right path.
00:25:15.01\00:25:17.58
You don't smoke? No.
00:25:17.61\00:25:19.05
You don't drink? No.
00:25:19.08\00:25:20.42
You don't do
anything to harm your body?
00:25:20.45\00:25:22.32
No.
00:25:22.35\00:25:23.69
You know, you're
not a vegan though?
00:25:23.72\00:25:25.05
No.
00:25:25.09\00:25:27.12
I like the
occasional meat every so often.
00:25:27.16\00:25:30.73
You know, we all
are work in progress.
00:25:30.76\00:25:32.63
Okay.
00:25:32.66\00:25:34.23
But I can appreciate you
00:25:34.26\00:25:36.80
taking care of
yourself and your wife.
00:25:36.83\00:25:40.50
I know that there
are more things to come.
00:25:40.54\00:25:43.51
We are still in the
process of our counseling.
00:25:43.54\00:25:46.64
You know, you
have not let me go yet
00:25:46.68\00:25:48.21
and I haven't
let go off you yet.
00:25:48.24\00:25:49.58
No.
00:25:49.61\00:25:50.95
Because there
are still some things
00:25:50.98\00:25:52.31
as a young man
00:25:52.35\00:25:53.68
that I want to
see you accomplish.
00:25:53.72\00:25:55.32
And I like to be a
part of that journey,
00:25:55.35\00:25:57.35
the second half of that journey,
00:25:57.39\00:25:59.05
even writing and
completing the book.
00:25:59.09\00:26:02.19
Closing remarks,
00:26:02.22\00:26:03.56
what would you say to someone
00:26:03.59\00:26:04.96
who is now pursuing academics
and African-American athletes.
00:26:04.99\00:26:10.63
You have about 30
seconds, what would you say?
00:26:10.67\00:26:14.14
Persevere.
00:26:14.17\00:26:15.50
This journey is hard. Yes.
00:26:15.54\00:26:17.61
You got to this point
00:26:17.64\00:26:18.97
because you are the
best at doing something.
00:26:19.01\00:26:21.88
Now to persist is going to be
00:26:21.91\00:26:24.35
the hardest test
you'll ever have to deal with.
00:26:24.38\00:26:27.25
But if you persist long enough,
00:26:27.28\00:26:30.02
there is a reward on
the end of the other side.
00:26:30.05\00:26:33.72
At the end of that
journey there is a reward.
00:26:33.76\00:26:35.86
And I can tell you,
00:26:35.89\00:26:37.23
I've been the only
black person in class
00:26:37.26\00:26:39.89
for a long, long time.
00:26:39.93\00:26:41.46
Long time.
00:26:41.50\00:26:42.83
And it hasn't always been easy
00:26:42.86\00:26:44.20
and people will always test you.
00:26:44.23\00:26:45.57
Yes.
00:26:45.60\00:26:46.94
But if you
persist through the test,
00:26:46.97\00:26:49.40
you'll come out
victorious on the other side.
00:26:49.44\00:26:51.07
Oh, wow.
00:26:51.11\00:26:52.57
You know, you
just encouraged me,
00:26:52.61\00:26:54.04
you know, losing my
husband on the other side
00:26:54.08\00:26:59.15
and being able
to stay encouraged
00:26:59.18\00:27:00.55
and I believe
00:27:00.58\00:27:01.92
that we can
encourage one another.
00:27:01.95\00:27:03.79
I want to thank you, Dr. Porter.
00:27:03.82\00:27:05.32
Dr. Porter, can
I say that again?
00:27:05.35\00:27:08.02
I still haven't
got used to it yet.
00:27:08.06\00:27:09.39
You haven't got used to that.
00:27:09.42\00:27:10.76
Well, I'm so proud of you
00:27:10.79\00:27:12.63
and I appreciate
you and I love you,
00:27:12.66\00:27:15.13
and continue to live to be well.
00:27:15.16\00:27:17.17
I want to thank all of
you for being with us today
00:27:17.20\00:27:19.37
on Live to be Well.
00:27:19.40\00:27:20.74
And let's look carefully
00:27:20.77\00:27:22.27
at the misconceptions
of sports and academics.
00:27:22.30\00:27:25.94
Think closely, look
at your own situation
00:27:25.97\00:27:28.98
with your own
sons and daughters.
00:27:29.01\00:27:31.41
And take a good
look, ask questions,
00:27:31.45\00:27:33.55
don't just accept anything,
00:27:33.58\00:27:35.58
make sure that
they live to be well
00:27:35.62\00:27:37.99
because they are your children.
00:27:38.02\00:27:39.72
God bless.
00:27:39.75\00:27:41.09