UPS and Walmart employees medal at U.S. championships
UPS night shifts and Walmart day shifts helped Jacory Patterson and Dylan Beard punch their tickets to the world championships
Kevin Morris
While most podium finishers at last week’s USATF national championships were backed by major shoe brands, 400m champion Jacory Patterson and 110m hurdles bronze medallist Dylan Beard paid their own way–working shifts at UPS and Walmart to fund their training. Competing against seasoned professionals, the two sprinters earned coveted spots on Team USA for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
From a UPS loading dock to USA gold
Patterson took a decisive 44.16-second victory in the 400m on Saturday, winning his first USATF title; Chris Bailey and Khaleb McRae took second and third in 44.43 and 44.45, respectively. According to NBC News, until less than two months before that win, Patterson had been working night shifts at global shipping company UPS, loading boxes into delivery trucks from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The Columbia, S.C., athlete would then train from 8:30 until the afternoon and sleep until evening.
Despite running out of NCAA eligibility in 2023 and being a key member of Team USA relays, he only earned a sponsorship from Nike after running a world-leading 43.98 at the Miami Grand Slam in May (and he still hasn’t been paid his US$50,000 winnings).
“I can definitely say it’s a little tougher being unsponsored for sure, because you have no money,” Patterson told media post-race on Sunday. “Everything is coming out of your pockets. And then, having to balance that with getting into meets, paying for gear, paying for spikes and all the things that go into track? And then having to pay your own bills, too; you know, rent, car bills, gas, groceries, like the whole nine yards.”
View this post on Instagram
A Walmart associate headed to his first world champs
Beard, who raced to bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.04 on Sunday, still doesn’t have a sponsor, yet he finished just behind professional athletes Ja’kobe Tharp (13.01) and Cordell Tinch (13.03) and beat out Adidas star Trey Cunningham (13.10) to secure a spot on Team USA.
Also wrapping up his NCAA career in 2023, Beard was featured in Forbes this May for working as a department store associate at Walmart to cover his training expenses. The Baltimore native gave a shoutout on Instagram to warehouse chain Sam’s Club for helping him through his season.
Making a living in the running world is notoriously difficult. Even Olympic champions Andre De Grasse and Noah Lyles earn a fraction of what athletes in the NFL, NBA or MLB bring home. In Canada, the funding gap is even wider, with many athletes juggling part- or even full-time jobs (even with sponsorships) just to stay competitive on the world stage.
