DeeDee Trotter sport athletics
College track and field
Trotter was mainly a basketball player in high school, and took up track-and-field as a second sport under the encouragement of those who saw her running on the court. She earned a track-and-field scholarship to the University of Tennessee, and was forced to turn away from basketball and focus solely on running. In 2003, she placed second in the NCAA championships in the distance, and in 2004 she was the NCAA champion. She still holds the Tennessee record time of 50.0s. She graduated from the university with a major in Sociology. She later trained under coach Caryl Smith Gilbert, who continued to train Trotter after her graduation. Trotter became the first woman to turn professional as a track-and-field athlete coming out of the University of Tennessee before graduation, turning pro in her junior year.Professional track and field career
2003-04
Trotter competed at the 2003 IAAF World Athletics Championship in France, running in the 400m, where she qualified for the semi-finals. That year she also won gold in the 4 × 400 m women's relay, at both the World Championships and the Pan-American Games. Trotter qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics team in the 400m, and was considered a medal contender going into the games. Trotter placed 5th overall in the 400 metres with a personal best time of 50.00s. She was part of the US team which finished first in the 4×400 meters relay, which beat the second placed team from Russia by more than one second. Trotter ran first, with a lead leg time of 49.19 seconds.
athletics competitive physical activity physical competition