Getting To Know Jemima Russell

Freshman middle distance runner Jemima Russell comes to USC from Melbourne, Australia and has already become an integral part of USC's track and field and cross country programs. She ran in the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships where she had a PR of 2:04.81 in the 800m. She already has posted a time of 2:06.09 as a Trojan which is tied for 11^th on USC's all-time list. We had a chance to catch up with her the other day.

Q – How did you end up at USC all the way from Australia?

J.R. – I had some friends that came to college here a year before me and I had been talking to them and it seemed like a really good opportunity. In Australia we don't really merge athletics and academics together, so the opportunity to come to an American college is what first appealed. I did a lot of research into what I wanted and USC ticked off a lot of those boxes. Plus, California has nice weather, the USC track program is amazing and I liked what coach Henner (distance coach Patrick Henner) had to say and the direction he wanted to take me.

Q – Did you ever come on a visit?

J.R. – The day after I finished my last 12^th-year exam, I jumped on a plane with my mother and I flew over here. I was here for four days…the first time I had ever been to America and I really liked it.

Q – How do you keep in touch with your family?

J.R. – The time change was a struggle at the beginning, sometimes I would ring my mom at 3 in the morning and I was like, 'I'm so sorry…' I use Facebook Messenger calls. That is how I keep in touch with most of my family and I call home. Also, just Instagram and things like that helps me keep up with friends, reading their stories and replying to them is how I stay connected.

Q – How has school been so far? Is it what you expected?

J.R. – I don't know what I expected as far as academics. Some people I knew said it was easy and some said it was hard. I feel like I have stayed on top of it, but it is definitely a bit different. I really like the interactive nature of classes here. They are a lot more fun and more conversational and not just learning stuff.

Q – What would you like to do with your Accounting degree once you graduate?

J.R. – It depends a lot. I'm looking to make connections with a business in America that also has an office in Australia, so hopefully I could use my knowledge of U.S. accounting in Australia. And through my connections, hopefully they would help transition me over there. USC is a school that is known in Australia and that was another thing I was looking for when I picked a college.

Q – How has it been being part of the USC Track & Field team?

J.R. – The program is amazing. When I first came here , I was like 'Wow!' Back home it was just a group of girls that would walk up to a track. Sometimes we would run a 500m, sometimes there were football flying. All of the effort and the focus they put into you as an individual, all the meetings I have with coach Henner where we discuss what we are going to work on. It is amazing how much organization there is and how much they are focused on your performance and success.

Q – You and fellow freshman Alyssa Brewer had had quite an impact already. What has it been like to come in as freshman and have such success?

J.R. - I think it is really exciting that we both came in and have started running good times. It is really good having Alyssa as we get to work off each other and in races we have different strengths, so we get to help each other out. I think it is exciting that the distances are building momentum, a bunch of the guys have run really well, as well. It is kind of fun to have a nice group that is up and coming and running exciting times and running PRs.

Q – How did you get into running?

J.R. – In Australia we have this program called Little Athletics and you go there on a Saturday morning and I had a lot of friends you did it with and you do every event, throw the discus, throw the javelin, run a 100, run an 800 and I guess through doing that I worked out that, 'Hey, I can run!' Through high school I started running the 400m and then the last two years started running the 800m.

Q – What was running cross country in the Fall for you?

J.R. – Before I came here I didn't really run distances at all. I was an 800m runner that did 400m training, so that is why I didn't race at the beginning (of the season). It was a good experience, it was exciting because it was my first college meets and that was really cool. I didn't particularly love running a long way, but I knew I needed it and it would help me in the future to run better 8's to do that distance work. It was nice to have that foundation and coming into this season I feel a lot stronger now.

Q – Your mother won a bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. How does she feel about you running?

J.R. – My mom was conscious not to push us towards it, we did it because it was what our friends were doing. I always thought it was great to have her there, she knows a lot and as I started competing more, to have her advice and hints. It's also kind of fun to try and catch up to her PRs…I haven't done it yet, but I'm getting close, though!

Q – What do you consider your biggest accomplishment in track so far?

J.R. – Probably making the Australian U20 junior team. That was an amazing experience. We traveled for a month with about 60 athletes and then competed in Finland and that was really cool to compete against such amazing people. The race I was in, one of them went out in about 56 and that was that was quite an experience.

Q – Your bio mentions that you have an interest in surfing and snowboarding. What is it about those sports that interests you?

J.R. – As a kid, every holiday we went on, we went to the beach, so I learned to surf because we were always there. It was just fun. I was like a water kid. Skiing I used to do with my family. Once a year we would go with a bunch of friends and that was fun and since I surf, I always thought it would be fun to try out snowboarding. I think it is a fun, different sport. Probably not good injury wise, so I won't do it for the next four years, but after that…

Q – What is the Surf Live Saving program you were involved with in Australia?

J.R. – Every summer there is a competition and you do board paddling, swimming, wading, sprinting on the beach and there is even a 1K run. It is like competitive lifesaving and you do this, but as well, you do community service. You get your bronze medal and you patrol the beaches, so you lifeguard beaches.

Players Mentioned

Alyssa Brewer

Jemima Russell