After 'shocking' Olympic lowpoint: What's next for USA heptathlete Chari Hawkins ?

Chari Hawkins had high hopes for the 2024 Olympics, but things did not turn out the way she would have liked in Paris.

She recently posted a video to social media of her crying after a dismal high jump performance. Hawkins captioned, "I have never watched my own heart break before. I wish I could give her a hug."

Hawkins continued her post by thanking those who reached out to her with supportive comments. She ended the message by saying, "more from me soon." It will be interesting to see if the 33-year-old contemplates retirement after a less than stellar Olympic performance, or if this fuels her to make one last run in 2028.

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Coming into the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hawkins was viewed as one of the most accomplished heptathletes in the world. She was expected to be in contention for a medal, but ended the Olympics in 21st place.

Hawkins had an abominable performance in the high jump, where she received zero points after failing to clear the 1.71 meter mark on three attempts. The New York Post wrote that video captured her hysterically crying and visibly shaking in the aftermath.

"Oh my gosh," she told the New York Post. "I don't even know what to do. I'm like literally so shocked right now." Hawkins opted not to carry over points from previously cleared jumps, with the idea that she would improve and gain even more. Needless to say, that strategy backfired.

Hawkins managed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics by finished second at US Olympics trials, scoring a personal best of 6,456 points, per BVM Sports. We'll learn more about her accomplishments before she bowed out of the 2024 Olympics.

Hawkins has a seemingly unlimited skill set when it comes to field sports. She’s been a standout performer as a college athlete, as well as during international competitions representing the United States.

Hawkins continues to push the boundaries of what she is capable of in athletics. She wants others to also challenge themselves. On her Instagram tagline, she writes "if I can do it, you can" in all capital letters.

Chari Wanda Hawkins is the youngest of five children, and was born in Rexburg, Idaho. She was always active in sports as a child and as a teenager.

She set records in the 100 meter hurdles, and was named to the all-district and all-state teams. According to the Utah State website, she also won an MVP award, and was a state champion.

As if her talents on the track were not enough, Chari Hawkins also played basketball and volleyball in high school.

According to the Utah State website, Hawkins was named to the second-team All American squad three times for her heptathlon brilliance during her college career. She was twice named a second-team All-American in pentathlon as well.

Hawkins is still the Aggies’ record holder in heptathlon and pentathlon points, and holds their high jump record as well.

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In March 2024, Hawkins represented the United States in the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Scotland. According to HJ News, her seventh place finish in the pentathlon is the highest she has placed in the world championships.

Hawkins has a decorated resume both in the United States and abroad. She won the gold medal at the 2022 USATF indoor championships, and was ranked top 10 in the world in heptathlon, according to HJ News.

However, things didn’t always come easy for Hawkins during her athletic journey. She battled a lot of doubts internally about whether she could compete.

Hawkins told Fre Skin Care’s website, "I started my professional career in 2016, fresh out of college and fresh into having full-blown anxiety attacks every other week."

She also told Fre Skin Care’s website, "One of the most critical things for me was detaching my value as a person from my performance. In 2016, I felt worthless if I didn’t compete well."

Hawkins has found a routine that works for her in order to relieve tension. She does a 10-second breath while watching TV or meditating. When she is in competition season, she does 20 minutes of breathwork twice a day.

Hawkins is a lead representative of the USATF Athlete Advisory Committee, who speaks on behalf of all heptathletes in the United States, according to her LinkedIn profile.

In late November 2023, Hawkins spent time with a San Diego Magazine editor, trying to coach up the latter to help her get her running rhythm back. On San Diego Magazine’s website, the editor said about Hawkins, "she coaches like a close friend, and senses when I need the motivation but doesn’t let me give up when I begin to tire."

Footwear News took notice of Hawkins’ attire during the 2023 ESPY awards. The outlet commented on her backless floral dress and gloves to match.

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