Originally appeared on E! Online
Team USA track star Kendall Ellis has managed to make the absolute best out of a s----- situation.
After being trapped in a porta potty that almost caused her to miss an Olympics qualifying race in June, Kendall not only made it to the 2024 Paris Olympics, but also now counts toilet paper company Charmin as one of her sponsors.
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But as you can imagine, getting there, uh, stunk for the 28-year-old.
"It was terrifying," Kendall said of the experience, per NBC News. "I don't like small spaces. Being stuck in one is actually one of my greatest fears. Elevators. Porta pottys. Water slides."
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Indeed, during those 10 minutes, she saw her world being flushed down the drain.
"I didn't start panicking ‘til I got to minute 5," she said. "I was like ‘OK, I'm going to have to call for help.' As embarrassing as it was to be screaming inside a porta potty asking for help, I had to."
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Afterwards, she felt…relieved.
"Once I got out, I took a deep breath, looked in the mirror and said, 'Kendall, you can't get too worked up because if you get emotional, it's going to affect your body and your race,'" she shared in a July 31 essay for Today. "I had to stay level-headed and calm, and I was proud that I handled the incident with such self-control."
Now enter Charmin to help her maintain that sense of calm.
"Charmin thankfully stepped in to get rid of all those bathroom worries," Kendall — who won took home gold and bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — explained, "so I can focus on being the best Kendall and athlete I know how to be."
And, the best Kendall is one who takes pride in her work.
"The expected dream is to win gold," she said, "and while I intend on running every race to win, for me a win is running like my best self, reaching my highest potential and not letting fear overcome me."
She added, "If I did my absolute best, ran my absolute hardest and happened to fall short, I would be disappointed. But ultimately, a win is running the best Kendall Ellis can run. I want to medal and be on that podium, but in the end, I just want to be the best me."
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
