Exclusive RH Interview with Olympic Medalist, Kendall Ellis

Meet Kendall Ellis, the 25 year old Floridian track star that is taking center stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics running for team USA! Between baking, reading, attending University of Southern California and receiving her MBA in Business Administration, Kendall is breaking track records, modeling for luxury fashion labels such as Staud, and living out her wildest dreams as a professional runner for New Balance. She is the perfect example of an RH Woman, who sets goals and crushes them with grace, style and humility. After seeing her run in a qualifying round, we reached out to her with an interview request and we had the pleasure of speaking with Kendall just before she left for Tokyo.

*Since our interview, Kendall Ellis has won a Bronze Olympic medal in the 4x400 mixed relay!*

Read below to see our conversation and follow her journey on IG here.

Let’s start from the beginning…Where are you from, and when did you begin running?

I am from South Florida, and I’ve been running since I was seven years old. Track is a big deal in that area, but I didn’t fully comprehend that. I just remember always daydreaming about traveling, but I came home from school so excited to tell my mom that I could run laps faster than anyone in my class and was beating all the boys in tag during recess. So, my mom had the instinct that there could be something there and supported me.

How did you go from being a seven-year-old that noticed her speed to an Olympian?

Throughout middle school and high school I ran, and then I decided to go to University of Southern California for college where I competed as a track runner. While I was studying, I became a 14-time NCAA Division-I All American, 7-time Pac-12 Conference champion and set two NCAA and collegiate records in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

During your junior year, you also made the World Championship team and placed 1st in the 4x400m relay! Yes, (as she says with a humble laugh), and then I graduated with a degree for business administration. Following graduation, I went pro for New Balance which is who I still currently run for.

Looking back to the 2017 World Championship Games in London when you were a Junior in college, what did that win feel like to you? Going into trials I threw caution to the wind and just ran as fast as I could, and I made the team! It was the moment that I realized I wanted to and could potentially run professionally. The experience was a big learning milestone in my life and was crucial in my development as an athlete and for where I am today.

On your USC Athlete profile, you listed Dubai as your dream travel destination, and you ended up traveling there for the 2019 World Championship Games, what is your next dream destination? First, it is Tokyo, but after the Olympic games I would love to go to Greece or Bali. I love the beach!

And next stop is Tokyo! From the 2017 World Championships in London to now the Olympic games in Tokyo, it seems like your dream of travel has come true through your passion and skill for track. Yes! I feel like I have the best of both worlds.

Now for those that have never seen your NCAA Track Championship 4x400m relay race, we will link it here, can you talk to us about that race specifically? We were so moved by your determination and perseverance. What was going through your mind before and after the race, and how do you look back on it now? Earlier that day I had run the 400m race and placed second and it was heartbreaking. I obviously wanted to win, and I was a Senior so I knew I wouldn’t have that chance again. Going into the relay, we hadn’t won a team championship and I knew that was on the line, but I also had complete trust in my other three teammates and had faith that we had this in the bag if we ran a great race.

They ran their legs of the race and as I was passed the baton, we had a small fumble and all I was thinking at that moment was ‘do not drop the baton’! I knew that if I had the baton in my hand that we could win this race and win a team championship. I don’t think I’ve ever been so focused on accomplishing a task before, and I was not going to come in second for the second time that day. When we crossed the line, it was so close I wasn’t sure if I had won and then they announced it and suddenly everything that we have worked so hard for was worth it for that single moment. It was a culmination of four years of hard work, dedication, and the last time that I would have the honor of wearing the USC uniform. Even now I receive messages about how that run impacts and inspires people and I love that.

When did you know that the 400m race was your favorite and did you have a runner that you looked up to? Typically, when you start running track you begin with the 100m or 200m race, but as I got taller and eventually ended up at 5’8”, I transitioned to the 400 because of my build and it felt like it all clicked. I definitely did not intentionally choose that event; it is very difficult, but I’ve been lucky to have success running it.

Growing up I always looked up to Sanya Richards-Ross, she is an icon in the sport and dominated the 400m race. I was always so excited to watch footage of her races.

Growing up did you have dreams of going to the Olympics? Not at all! It is so crazy because I recently found something I wrote in elementary school where I said I wanted to be a track star, but I had no idea what the Olympics were. I had no clue that you could run professionally as a career, I just knew that I liked running. Even as I got older the Olympics were not on my radar, I was just having fun with a sport that I was good at and not looking too far down the road.

I was speaking with my sports psychiatrist recently and he said that when we began working together that I was so anti-Olympics that I didn’t even want to talk about it, and now here I am ready to run in the Olympics in Tokyo representing the United States.

What does it mean to you to represent the United States? It is such an honor. We always say that Team USA is the world’s hardest team to make, so to be a part of it is truly incredible.

You are incredibly driven and achieved person and I think there are a lot of people at any age from any walk of life with any dream that can look up to you because not only are you an athlete but an academic who graduated from a top university and has received her MBA, do you have any words of wisdom for anyone reading this? Find something that you are generally interested in and passionate about. I was lucky to love two things and pursue them: business and track. If you are bored, you will not be motivated.

Do you have any daily routines that you adhere to? Yes! I am a bit Type-A, so I write everything down. If it is not written down or on my calendar, I will forget about it and won’t do it. Every time I can flip the page on my calendar to a new month, I get excited. It is all color coordinated and organized, it helps keep my anxiety down, keeps me focused and on track.

Will your routines change leading up to Tokyo? Not too much, I will still be keeping lists! But I am just so excited, and I want to have fun and enjoy the experience as much as I can. I do not want to be consumed by the pressure of it all. Coming home with a gold medal is obviously my ultimate goal, and I am looking forward to running my races as best as I can.

Lastly, you were in the Staud campaign which was your first fashion campaign outside of New Balance. What was that experience like? It was so much fun being on set, learning how to pose and being in front of the camera! I would love to model more, and that opportunity made me feel so comfortable and empowered. It was a collaboration between Staud and New Balance and I felt like it personally aligned with me perfectly. I hope in the future I can do more campaigns. 

Kendall Ellis has since won a Bronze Olympic medal for her 4x400 mixed relay! Massive congratulations to Kendall Ellis and her teammates.

(Kendall Ellis running in the 4x400 mixed relay race in the Tokyo Olympics!)