Getting to Know Amber Gore

USC track and field junior Amber Gore has competed as one of the Trojans' top runners in cross country each of the past three seasons. This week the captain leads the team at the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships. In track and field she has competed mostly in 800m and 1500m races, last season competing in the 1500m at the Pac-12 Championships. Check out the Q & A with the track and field junior:

Q: Being an upperclassman, what has been your favorite part about being at USC?

AG: There's so much to choose from. Academics wise, I'm starting to get the hang of all the classes and what the teachers expect of us. Athletically, it's been great to get to know the team and start to feel like we have a leadership role and help the freshmen come along and feel like they are a part of the team as well.

Q: More specifically, what has been the best part about being on the USC Track & Field team?

AG: The family environment is completely unmatched. I have been running since I was five years old, so I have been on a bunch of different teams, and I have never felt like I have had as much of family environment as I've had at USC. The team comes from so many different places and it's amazing that we're able to mesh so quickly.

Q: What made you interested in attending USC and participating on the Track & Field team?

AG: Both of my parents attended USC and my dad ran track and field for a year, so growing up as a Trojan has always been in my blood. Coincidently, in high school I didn't want to attend USC. I was looking at other options in different parts of California, but eventually I was drawn back here. Coach Caryl and the distance coach at the time were very helpful in accommodating what I wanted in regards to athletics and academics.

Q: What has been the toughest part about being a student-athlete, and how do you balance that in your life?

AG: The toughest part is definitely the time management. But what I love about our coaches and the supporting staff is that they let us know that ahead of time. I never came in blind as to what to expect. I knew it was going to be tough because it's like having a full-time job in addition to going to school. The most important thing I felt coming in as a freshman was establishing good habits and writing everything that I need to do in a calendar or agenda, because it's really helpful for me to see everything on paper. It helps me to plan out my days, weeks, and months. At the beginning of the semester, academic advisors give us a big spread sheet of the entire semester so that we can see our assignments when they are due in comparison to when we have track meets.

Q: What about the USC Track & Field team, or USC in general, has allowed you to succeed athletically?

AG: The entire support we have on and off the track. We have an entire building of staff members that want to see us succeed, not only on the track, but also in the classroom so they do everything they can to help us every day.

Q: This year, what are your goals for yourself, and for the team?

AG: The team has established that we have one goal and that's to win a National Championship. My goal is aligned with that in that I want to contribute to that goal for myself as a member of the team, but also as a contributing member of the team in terms of points, leadership, or whatever is needed.

Q: Our conference is really good in cross country, what are your individual goals for the PAC-12 Championships?

AG: To see improvement from last year. Cross country is a little harder to quantify goals because every course is different and the course can vary from year to year, depending on weather and outside competition. This year, I have taken a more selfish approach. I'm trying to focus on my individual performance, rather than how that ranks up compared to other people because I can't control other people. I just know where I am now compared to where I was last year and the year before.

Q: How is training for cross country different from when you train for track and field?

AG: Cross country is a lot more volume work so we'll do a lot longer runs, have higher mileage per week, and longer intervals on the track. I think it requires a lot more mental focus because when it turns to track I am more of middle distance runner, running the 800m or occasionally the mile so that is a different type of mental focus than I would need to run three to four miles.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

AG: Growing up it was Allyson Felix just because of how she started and how she is such a great character on and off the track. I also started as a 400 runner so I was always motivated by her and her work ethic. But as I started transforming more into a distance runner, my inspiration is Alysia Montaño because she is down to earth and really hard working. I love the stories of hard working athletes that got their start young and progressed as they grew up because that is what I aspire to be.

Q: What are your aspirations for after graduation?

AG: Currently, I am studying to be a physical therapist and that has been at the forefront of my brain in terms of life planning, but I think if I am able to make significant improvements within the next couple of years, definitely running professionally would be an ultimate goal.

Q: What have you learned from being a student-athlete and how do you think it will help you after your sport?

AG: Being a student-athlete teaches you the importance of time management, focus, determination, and drive. I know that if I work hard and be determined to finish a good workout or a hard, long race that will carry over into a career in terms of making deadlines for certain things or working well with others. It goes hand-in-hand.

Q: What separates USC from other schools?

AG: The biggest thing is that a lot of schools emphasize running and other schools emphasize academics. One of the greatest things about USC is that we are so focused on both. We all know that we go to a competitive and difficult school so just by having the resources to not only become world-class athletes, but also become productive members of society in terms of career paths goes unmatched.

Players Mentioned

Amber Gore

Getting to Know Amber Gore

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University Southern California Trojans

Players Mentioned

Amber Gore

Getting to Know Amber Gore

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