Track & Field | December 01, 2023
Graduate transfer Leah Disher shares how her career goals and college experiences have shaped her into the athlete she is today, in the latest “Getting To Know.” Competing on the cross country and track teams here at USC, Disher explains her excitement about her future and the people supporting her.
Q: When did you decide that you wanted to compete at the collegiate level?
L.D.: I actually wanted to compete in soccer and track, but I ended up picking track. I had a stress fracture and that took about a year to recover from. While I was trying to get back from an injury from soccer, I focused on track and everything kind of flowed from there.
Q: What was the hardest thing about your recovery?
L.D.: It was really difficult because the year before I had an injury that was on and off and then I got another injury a year later. The waiting, watching, and trying to heal was difficult because I wasn’t able to compete in either sport for an entire year which was taxing.
Q: You transferred from Clemson, how was your experience there?
L.D.: I liked it. Both of my parents went there and it was fun and I learned a lot. Overall, it was a good experience. It’s funny because I lived in the building where my parents got engaged and had their engagement party. My grandparents lived very close to there because that’s where my mom’s from. I got to see my grandparents on the weekend which was always nice for me. When I graduated, I got to take photos with them which was very special for me. Those are some of my core memories from my experience there.
Q: What made you want to continue your athletic career past undergrad?
L.D.: Covid was a big part of my experience, so I felt like I missed out on going into class. I love track but wasn’t able to compete. With one year left of eligibility, I thought “Why not?”. I only have one chance to use my extra year so why not finish it out.
Q: You’re from Georgia and there’s a really strong track culture there. What prompted you to go to school out of state?
L.D.: My experience in high school really affected that. On paper, I was pretty good my freshman year. But because of my injuries sophomore and junior year, I didn’t have a lot of recruiting opportunities because coaches thought I just disappeared. When I…
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