Strath Haven grad Allie Wilson returns to Franklin Field as a pro at Penn Relays while chasing the Olympic dream

Allie Wilson felt sick to her stomach. Then a Monmouth graduate student, she was a few hours away from putting on her spikes and taking the track in the 800-meter run at the 2019 NCAA East preliminary round.

Running on little sleep, Wilson, a Strath Haven graduate, looked at her coach, Chris Tarello, then a Monmouth assistant who’s now an assistant at St. Joseph’s, and said, “I’m so nervous. I don’t want to do it.”

“He looked at me and was like, ‘This is literally what you have always wanted, and it’s happening,’” Wilson told The Inquirer on Monday. “That was kind of a wake-up call for me. You always want that next thing then once it’s here, you kind of lose sight of it.”

The 27-year-old still recalls those words from her college coach as she chases the dream of becoming an Olympian. And on Friday, Wilson’s pursuit continues at a familiar stomping ground: Franklin Field. She’ll be competing in the Olympic development 800-meter run at the Penn Relays.

The road to furthering her track and field career, though, wasn’t easy. Wilson, who turned pro about three years ago, dealt with injuries along the way, but that adversity shaped her drive.

“It takes a lot of discipline,” Wilson said. “But I feel like it’s so rewarding. Nothing feels better than that feeling of crossing the line. It gives me fulfillment. … I love that I’m able to do it now for a living and keep pushing my body to its limits.

“The day that I don’t feel that way will probably be when I hang up my spikes. But in the meantime, I know that there’s more that I can get out of myself. I’m going to keep fighting for that. We’ll see what I can do.”

» READ MORE: Episcopal Academy’s record-breaking freshman Abaas Hunter sets sights on Penn Relays

For the past three years, Wilson, a Wallingford native, has been training and working with Atlanta Track Club Elite. She was a finalist in the 800 meters at the 2020 Olympic trials but missed the team by three spots and .64 seconds (1:59.02). She hopes to return in 2024.

Wilson didn’t always dream of representing the U.S. on an international stage. In high school, Wilson competed in soccer and indoor and outdoor track and field, and, while she mainly played sports to have fun with her friends, her athleticism didn’t go unnoticed.

“She didn’t look like the other girls,” Tarello said. “She was strong. She was broad and powerful. ... She was an athlete; she wasn’t just a runner.”

At Strath Haven, Wilson was a five-time All-Delco honoree, three times in track and twice in soccer. Tarello first noticed Wilson while she was running in the Penn Relays and started recruiting her to Monmouth.

He saw Wilson’s potential as a runner before she did, which ultimately sealed her decision to go there.

“I could tell he was so passionate about what he did,” Wilson said. “He was pretty much the main reason [why] I went there. We actually had a rocky start because I got to college and was learning about that whole new world — I probably wasn’t making the best choices.”

As a sophomore, Wilson went through a rough patch where she wasn’t focused and her numbers weren’t improving. Tarello addressed her one day, saying she needed to change her tactics or she may not have a spot on the team.

It was a tough conversation, Tarello said, but he didn’t want to wait until it was too late for Wilson.

“She accepted it, and I’m sure she was upset,” Tarello said. “But if she wasn’t able to take on that responsibility, I don’t think the change would have ever happened. The change that she made was 100% self-driven.”

» READ MORE: Meet the record-breaking Temple duo ready to track continued success at the Penn Relays

The conversation did motivate Wilson. While she wanted to be a part of “normal” college life, it wasn’t going to help her be the best runner on the team. She wanted to turn the page, starting with small adjustments.

It was short-lived, however.

Wilson suffered a fifth metatarsal fracture after jumping into a pool and awkwardly landing on her foot at the beginning of her junior season. She spent most days swimming to stay in shape — so much so that her coach thought that she could have been a Division I swimmer by the end of the year.

“I hit a point where I was like, ‘I’m over it,’” Wilson said. “I want to be out there running again. I was determined to get back. I could have ended up just quitting and giving up because it was such a long process. But I feel like it taught me a lot about myself. When I finally got to run again, I really made sure to make the most of it.”

And she did just that. Wilson was a three-time All-American at Monmouth. She made the NCAA championships as a senior and finished 13th in the 800 meters.

But her breakout season came during her fifth year, when she again qualified for the NCAA championships in the 800 meters. She set a personal-best time of 2:02.56, placing fifth.

» READ MORE: Penn Relays 2023: Time, tickets, parking, and how to watch

Wilson currently is ranked 12th in the world in the 800 meters and set her career best of 1:58.09 in August 2022 in Switzerland. Throughout her journey, Wilson said, she’s been seen as the underdog — but it’s a mentality she embraces.

She knows how hard it is to fulfill her Olympic dream, but this time feels different.

“I actually could be one of the three people to make it because I feel like, at this point, I know I’m close to being in that position where I can confidently say it,” Wilson said. “It’s just an ongoing process of really believing that you belong.”

And that confidence will be on display Friday.

“I haven’t run the relays in the past couple of years, so it’s be nice to be back,” Wilson said. “I hope I can make the most of it and come away with running a fast time as well.”