Cory McGee back home from Tokyo Olympics
Pass Christian’s Cory McGee put her hometown on the map on the national stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Now she’s back home and News 25 caught up with the former Pirate turned Hometown Hero.
“I’ve had many good moments on this track, some arguments also on this track.”
A trip down memory lane for first-time Olympian Cory McGee at the track where it all began at Pass Christian High School. “I think this is where I learned how to handle the heat. The track was black when I was in high school. I would often come out after school to the track at four or something after eating a foot long sandwich and that didn’t end well. I have all sorts of memories.”
Memories just as vivid as the ones she made much more recently as a member of Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Games where she advanced all the way to the finals of the women’s 1500-meter race. “To be able to represent the thing I love and the places I am from and stand on the starting line with women from all over the world. Women who come from a similar story or have the same passion and we made it to the same starting line.”
Cory’s father, Jim McGee, said, “She told me when she was 11 years old ‘dad I’m going to be in the Olympics” and I said yeah go for it.”
Armed with a one-track mind, Cory didn’t just go for it, she made it as a silver medalist in the Olympic qualifiers in Eugene, Oregon. Cory ran a personal best of 4 minutes and 67 hundredths of a second, but it was in that moment that time stopped. “My dad was there watching because we were allowed to have spectators in Oregon but he reached down and handed me the phone and Shannon, Devin and Regen were on face time and I ran with them on the phone.”
If anyone could understand the pressure of those moments, its her three sisters, all of who ran track in both high school and college. “We were all waking up really early so we could watch and we didn’t want to miss a single second.” “Staying up all night”
Fourteen-hour time difference and all, Cory’s family was there for it all, even during her fateful semi-final run, in which she was tripped, but was allowed into the finals on appeal. “We knew Cory didn’t have anything to do with the tumble; she was just affected, unfortunately. So, we prayed the committee would do their job and send her through.”
“I told her ‘Corey you ran a 4:10 after rolling around in the track for 10 seconds so you should’ve had a sub 4:00 then you come back two days later and run a 4:05. I don’t know how you did it.”
Maybe not how the former Pass Christian Pirate drew it up, but still a finish her entire family can be proud of, no matter what. “When she came up the jet bridge, I proceeded to tell everyone she’s an Olympian.”
“Everybody in the airport was crying. I was like yeah, she just got home from the Olympics. I was like we have to make it a big deal. How often do you get to yell that your sister is an Olympian?”
Cory isn’t done yet. Now just three years away from trying to punch her ticket to the 2024 Olympics. “When I first got to Tokyo, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead but during the closing ceremony when they raised the French flag, I thought here we go.”
McGee was injured during her tumble and will be recovering for the rest of the 2021 season.
