Nia Akins doesn't need to look far for a soundtrack to her life story. She grew up in Rancho Bernardo, loving the music at her church.
"Back in church in San Diego, I just was mesmerized by the worship leaders, especially the female worship leaders," Akins said. "It was just a girl and her acoustic guitar."
2024 Paris Olympics:
The music-loving, homegrown talent punched her ticket to Paris, winning the 800 meters at last month's USA trials, to this point, a crowning athletic achievement.
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"I feel like I have a good chance as anybody to medal, so I'm excited," Akins said.
Her mother, a former collegiate runner, saw Akins' talent at a young age. But it wasn't until high school, when Akins turned from soccer to track and field and loved it.
"It started there. I feel like I learned from the track program at Rancho Bernardo. I was like, 'This is what I want it to feel like in college and beyond.' It's like, I want to have fun, and I want to be surrounded by a great team of supportive people," Akins said. "I bleed blue still."
Going to the University of Pennsylvania and now part of the Brooks Beast Track Club in Seattle, Washington, Akins, who is 26 years old, may have a new career when the running finally stops.
She picked up a guitar for the first time during COVID and started writing and singing.
It seems like everything she does is fast. Akins plans to release her first album after Paris. It will include her latest song, which is just a few weeks old, called "Petals to the Fire."
"It's just been kind of like my personal growth story this year in particular, just kind of like not caring so much what people think and just learning to be myself and embracing myself, and I feel like I got rewarded with that on the track and just in others areas of life," Akins said. "Whatever I do — like right now, it's running — it's just kind of about like loving God and loving people."
It's a foundation built on faith. And with so much talent to support, you better believe it's strong.
