MBU Alum Nick Christie Qualifies for the 2021 Summer Olympics

It was nine years in the making. Despite limited opportunities to compete recently due to COVID-19, competing on a dangerously hot day, and a nine-day waiting period, Missouri Baptist University alum and multiple-time NAIA National Champion race walker, Nick Christie, is now headed to Tokyo as a member of the U.S. Olympic Team.

Competing in his third U.S. Olympic Team Trials event on June 26, Christie had his sights set on qualifying for Tokyo alongside his significant other and fellow race walker, Robyn Stevens, who punched her ticket to Tokyo with a win in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Women's 20k race.

Nothing got in the way of Christie capturing yet another race walk title, not even the 114-degree day in Springfield, Ore. that forced officials to move up the start time to 7 a.m. (PST) to avoid the extreme temperatures. Christie won gold in the men's 20k event with a time of 1:30:48 and finished more than a minute ahead of runner-up Daniel Nehnevaj of Raleigh Walkers. Joining Christie in the field of 15 was current Spartan and five-time NAIA All-American Jordan Crawford, who finished eighth overall and clocked in at 1:39:45.

Unfortunately, a win at U.S. Olympic Team Trials didn't result in an automatic bid to Tokyo for Christie. There was still a nine-day waiting period as other results from around the globe trickled in. For Christie to qualify, he needed to finish inside of the top-60 of the world rankings to punch his ticket to Tokyo. "It was about a week that I was in total limbo. It was totally stressful," said Christie of playing the waiting game.

Once the dust settled and team entries were due on July 5, things fell right into place. After holding the 61^st spot in the world rankings several days prior, Christie received word that another athlete was not invited by his country to participate and in turn pushed him into the top-60. With that development, Christie earned his spot on the U.S. Olympic Team roster.

The achievement was nine years in the making for the El Cajon, Calif. native who began his racewalking journey in 2012.

Coming out of high school in 2011 where he had been primarily a pole vaulter and hurdler, Christie had his sights set on attending San Diego State University. That was until his pole vault coach and trainer, Lyle Barton, convinced him to go to Cuyamaca College, where he guaranteed to land him a scholarship offer from a four-year institution.

Once at Cuyamaca, Christie was talked into competing in the racewalk by his coach and two-time U.S. Olympic Team member Tim Seaman.

After being a member of the U.S. National Team in Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004), Seaman was now coaching at the community college, looking for race walkers that could compete for the school. He implemented a preliminary, but mandatory racewalk test in which Christie passed with flying colors.

A broken collar bone would soon restrict the events that Christie could compete in outside of the racewalk. Under Seaman's tutelage and a new focus on the event, he was well on his way to becoming an elite competitor.

While he never competed in the racewalk for the Coyotes, he did compete in his first U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2012 while he was focusing on transferring to a four-year school. Nick impressed in his first outing, finishing third in the event with a 1:29:47.30.

Shortly after, he began being recruited by former MBU Head Track & Field Coach Tish Hanna and former Spartan race walker Alejandro Chavez. Hanna offered him a scholarship, and Christie joined a star-studded MBU racewalk team with NAIA Women's 5k record holder Molly Josephs, All-American Alejandro Chavez, All-American and former record holder Natalia Alfonzo, and Ioulia Barakou.

With a strong team and a supportive coach, Christie went on an incredible run in the NAIA. Below are his top finishes and accolades in three seasons as a
Spartan:

2013
- Won 3000m Racewalk - NAIA Indoor Championship (11:59.73, set record at the time)
- Third in the 5000m Racewalk - NAIA National Outdoor Championship (22:20.56)
2014
- Won 3000m Racewalk - AMC Indoor Championship (12:35.22)
- Third in 3000m Racewalk - NAIA Indoor Championship (12:24.49)
- Won 5000m Racewalk - AMC Outdoor Championship (23:45.38)
- Won 5000m Racewalk - NAIA National Outdoor Championship (21:22.72)
2015
- Won 3000m Racewalk - AMC Indoor Championship (15:09.18)
- Won 3000m Racewalk - NAIA Indoor Championship (11:46.20, set new record)

In total, he was a three-time NAIA national champion and a three-time AMC champion. He credits his parents for their strong support and head coach Tish Hanna for a lot of his success.

"Tish Hanna was a massively supportive coach and brought us in with the mindset that someone was going to make the Olympics someday," said Christie. "As far as competition was concerned and everything, Hanna was always super supportive for us, created a good competitive environment, asked us our long-term goals, and helped support us along the way. We had a great coach; there's no other way to say it."
Since his time at Missouri Baptist, he has continued to find success. He competed in the U.S. Olympic trials again in 2016, where he finished third in the 20k and second in the 50k. In 2020, he placed third in the 50k trials and in June, he won the trials. To pile it on, he is also a 21-time U.S. National Champion.

But now, after nine long years and nine long days, Nick Christie can call himself a U.S. Olympic athlete.

"It's a lot of work and there are a lot of people who have been a part of that whole process," Christie said. "A lot of logistics you have to go through. It hasn't totally hit me yet. I guess I'll see how it hits me once I'm there."

The 2021 Toyko Olympics Men's 20k Racewalk will take place on August 5 at the Sapporo Odori Park in Sapporo, Japan. Christie takes the track beginning at 2:30 a.m. (CST) or 4:30 p.m. local time.