PORTLAND, Ore. — Olympian Raevyn Rogers returned home to Portland on Thursday after winning a bronze medal in the women's 800-meter final at the Tokyo Olympics.
The University of Oregon (UO) grad landed at Portland International Airport and friends, UO students and fans were there to give her a hero's homecoming.
"There was a lot of things that could've gone so left if I didn't have the right people around. But having that right support system, I was just able to see a better perspective of my situation and overcome," Rogers told reporters at the airport. "To walk away with a medal, I feel like, is the cherry on top of what I've gone through this whole year."
Rogers touched on the importance of mental health for athletes, which became a focal point of the Tokyo Games after Simone Biles withdrew from several gymnastics events, citing her own mental health as the reason.
"I feel like as athletes, as competitors, we're the hardest on ourselves, especially me," Rogers said. "And so you need people who can help you process your emotions that you're gonna naturally feel, especially in a year like this year where things are very uncertain, especially with COVID."
Rogers was near the back of the pack for much of the 800-meter race, but made a comeback in the final 100-meter stretch. In the final straightaway, she passed four runners and edged out a third-place finish.
In a post on Instagram, Rogers thanked her teammates, family and friends for their support and talked about winning her first Olympic medal.
"It still hasn't settled in how much hard work it took to get to this point," Rogers said. "Coming from a family of hard workers, it's like you put your head down to work hard, and look up later. But I'm so grateful to have enjoyed this experience to the fullest, getting the absolute most out of it I could while enjoying myself as your new Olympic bronze medalist."
The bronze medal adds to the former Duck's long list of accomplishments. Rogers is a six-time NCAA champion, a 10-time All-American, and a winner of the most prestigious college track and field award, The Bowerman.
In 2020, Rogers moved from Philadelphia to Portland to train with former Nike Oregon Project coach Pete Julian.
