We are beyond thrilled to welcome triple jumper Tori Franklin to the Haute Volée... FIELD EVENTS! YES! Tori is a 7x All American, the current MSU Indoor & Outdoor Triple Jump + 4x400 Meter Relay Record Holder, 2x Big Ten Conference Indoor Champion, 2014 Big Ten Outdoor Champion, a 2017 London World Championships Participant, 13th place at the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships, 2nd place at the 2017 USATF Indoor Championships, 9th Place at the 2016 USA Olympic Trials, 1st Place 2017 USA Track and Field Indoor Championships, 5th Place 2012 USA Olympic Trials (as a Freshman)! Annnnd she just so happens to be writing a book. #NBD. Get to know Tori a little better!
JESS: WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG RIGHT NOW?
TORI: Wallet, my quick thoughts journal (I use for creative ideas or poems I come up with on the fly), chapstick, and an umbrella!
JB: WHAT DO YOU DREAM OF?
TF: A few things:
- That I’ll be able to continue to travel the world and meet amazing people using the gifts I’ve been blessed with.
- Make an impact on any life I can and to inspire them to be exactly who they are.
- At least one young woman will one day find, joy, laughter, and acceptance through my writing.
JB: WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF RUNNING?
TF: I currently work as a cook at a 4.5 star hotel in downtown Chicago. This experience has been so new for me and I do almost everything wrong but I’m learning every day. I love it! I am also currently working on a book that is slowly but surely coming along quite well. It has me very excited!
JB: WHAT IS YOUR SUPERPOWER?
TF: My superpower is definitely eating. “if its on a plate, I'll eat it straight”, ...nah I don’t like that one, “If it’s been cooked, it’s in my nook nook”, no that was worse… hey I didn’t say my ‘on the fly’ poems were good. ;)
JB: WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING RIGHT NOW?
TF: I’m relearning how to play the violin. I had been playing for five years during grammar school then went on a 10-year hiatus. My family, knowing how much I’ve wanted to get back into it bought me one for my birthday! So, it sounds like nails on a chalkboard again.
JB: LAST PLACE YOU TRAVELLED TO? WHY?
TF: The last place I traveled to was Detroit for one of my good friends’ birthdays. Along with the birthday festivities we went to the African Festival, which was a great experience with music, art, dancing, and wonderful clothing.
JB: WHO'S YOUR PIC (PARTNER IN CRUSHING IT)?
TF: One of my best friends from high school Alexis Beauford. The greatest thing I think she is doing right now is building and growing her own photography company, A. Beauford Graphics & Photography. It has been doing amazingly. She is working full time in marketing and has taken up part time jobs on top of that to help her gain experience and continue to learn more about the art. She is incredibly inspiring!
JB: WHAT THE BEST ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
TF: “When your body is tired, go to sleep.” I feel like rest is undermined and taken for granted. You always hear inspirational videos like, “BEYONCE NEVER SLEEPS!” so and so works 18 hours to get what he has. That’s great and all but for your mind to be most sharp and for your body to perform its best, it must be rested. So, sleep. Relax.
JB: WHAT'S YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?
TF: Cake... without hesitation.
JB: DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPERSTITIONS?
TF: Not so much, I used to, but as I got older I realized it wasn’t healthy for me to hold on to superstitions. Because, if something were to happen differently, then my mind would be thrown off and could potentially affect my performance.
JB: WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO EMOJI OR GIF?
TF: I don’t use them much, but when I do, I usually put together some super random sequence. Like alien pineapple up arrow cactus and let the reader try and figure it out.
Big thank you to Tori for crushing it! Please give her a follow + a warm welcome to the team!