Great athletes aren’t born, they’re made. No matter what the sport, it takes a special kind of dedication and special kind of desire in order to succeed in a sport. Athletes have to have the heart, determination, focus and love for the sport to excel.

At NMU, junior Bailey Franklin reflects these qualities as a member of the track team. She does not do so in a way that would come off as bragging or an in-your-face attitude, but rather as a person who exceeds expectations, yet always finds a reason for improvement. It is this attitude and this type of determination that helped Franklin achieve the status of All-American and will continue to lend itself to her in her track and field career.

Franklin said that her success didn’t come overnight, though. The road that led her up to this point was a long one but is one that she is glad she took. ,

“I grew up watching my older brother and sister run track, and right away I fell in love with it,” Franklin said. “They both were amazing athletes and fast sprinters. They both were really an inspiration for me to go out for track. I’ll admit I was nervous at first to try it because I didn’t want to fail but by the time I got to high school, everyone just expected me to go for it so I did.”

Throughout high school Franklin participated in all the sprint relays and jumps but felt the need to expand her horizons. She would get this opportunity when she decided to come to Northern Michigan University.

“I had no idea where I was going to go for college,” Franklin said. “Honestly I had never heard of NMU before and my best friend was really worried I was never going to choose a college to go to. So I started looking through this book of colleges she gave me, seeing which schools had track and volleyball teams. Eventually, I found Northern and they had both so I just sort of picked NMU. I’m very glad I did though.”

Throughout her time on the track and field team, Franklin has participated in several events such as the shot put, the 800-meter run, the javelin, and others, but she said that her true passion lies with the high jump.

While Franklin said that being on the track team has kept her organized and grounded in her daily routine, it’s not always as glamorous as it may seem.

“When you get to the college level in any sport, it’s a whole different world than what people think it is,” said Franklin. “All the events and training add up over the years and some days it can be really hard on your body.”

Franklin also said its frustrating to plateau, that is, to keep working without seeing results, but that she presses on anyway. “In the end, I would never quit, because I know the minute I did, I would regret it.”

With only one year left after this season’s conclusion, Franklin plans on enjoying the time she has left on team and will continue to focus on her academic goals in hopes of one day coaching her own team or teaching.

“Right now my main goal is to get my degree in physical education and continue to succeed in track and field,” Franklin said. “One day I would love to move out to Colorado and look for a job out there. Even though my track and field career would end at NMU, I wouldn’t be able to stay away from competing. I would love to get into some triathlons and maybe run a marathon. Only time will tell.”