WEBVTT NOTE recognizability 0.947 NOTE language en-us 00:00:00.020 --> 00:00:02.740 In oregon seven graduates of the airforce track and field 00:00:02.740 --> 00:00:06.350 program are competing at the us olympic trials that began friday and 00:00:06.350 --> 00:00:11.310 ...next saturday june twenty six I got a chance to catch up with one of those runners before she 00:00:11.310 --> 00:00:18.070 chases are dream of one day representing team usa in the olympics. 00:00:18.070 --> 00:00:21.700 Crossing the finish line was something that maria butler wasn't sure was going 00:00:21.700 --> 00:00:25.440 to happen when she had to sit out did...injury... 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:30.370 december five in california and that was kind of like the turning point from when it 00:00:30.370 --> 00:00:35.090 was like a key and hurting when I was like okay something's like really not right it was a fractured 00:00:35.090 --> 00:00:39.860 bone in her foot in the seniors only concern was getting healthy to make the national 00:00:39.860 --> 00:00:44.840 meat and continue her quest to the olympic trials I didn't have as much confidence probably 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:49.500 going as I could have just because of my injury previously 00:00:49.500 --> 00:00:53.560 but it was it was so much fun I was just like running a lot of gratitude 00:00:54.780 --> 00:00:58.550 ...did more than compete she finished third in her signature event 00:00:58.550 --> 00:01:03.300 and captured first team all-american honors in the ten thousand meter run now she's 00:01:03.300 --> 00:01:09.790 preparing for the track and field olympic trials I mean that's a dream that's. 00:01:09.790 --> 00:01:14.820 Been something that I've like looked at in, you know, admired andkind of 00:01:14.820 --> 00:01:19.990 shot for a while now the newly graduated falcons says even if she doesn't make the 00:01:19.990 --> 00:01:24.960 cut this time around she will continue to strive to represent team usa that 00:01:24.960 --> 00:01:30.120 would be incredible I mean that's kind of the goal I also know like I'm very young in the 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:35.170 store is so I hope to have future olympic trials in the future looking at twenty, 00:01:35.170 --> 00:01:39.720 twenty four and beyond the best part she will have six other former falcons alongside her 00:01:39.720 --> 00:01:43.800 in organ during this journey to really cool group july 00:01:43.800 --> 00:01:47.040 ...the trials so I'm excited 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:50.570 reporting in colorado springs brian aldrich these five sports.