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Muir Right at Home in England During Summer 2012 Olympic Games in London

Tina Muir ended her Ferris State University athletics career as an 11-time All-American student-athlete in cross country and track and field.


Tina Muir

Tina Muir won’t be competing when the 2012 Olympic Games begin this week in London, but the Great Britain native and one of Ferris State University’s most-decorated student-athletes wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.

Muir, who graduated in May from Ferris, earned a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the British Olympic Trials, but narrowly missed the official time needed to qualify for the Olympics. The games are July 27-Aug. 12 in London, just 20 miles from Muir’s home in St. Albans.

Tina Muir“I am beyond excited about the Olympics being in London,” Muir said. “The entire country is buzzing right now … I feel extremely proud to be British. Everything has the Union Jack flag, and everyone is so pumped about the biggest sporting event in the world being here. I made the right decision to be home for the buildup as well as the event itself.”

And while she would love to be competing, Muir is happy with her personal-best performance at the trials.

“It was a race that I had not been training for and was a bonus after a fantastic final season at Ferris,” she said. “It was great to just go out there and race – no pressure, no expectations – but just race and see how I did.

“It was great having so much support, not only from the people in the stadium watching, but back in Big Rapids. It was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Muir, who wrapped up her collegiate career as an 11-time All-American in women’s track and field and cross country for the Bulldogs, will be among the 1 million people in London to watch the games. Her plans include Men’s Road Cycling on July 28 and Athletics on Aug. 6-8, which include a variety of track and field events such as the 200-, 800-, 1,500- and 5,000-meter races.

Muir said she will be rooting for U.S. athletes, but her allegiance obviously is to Team Great Britain.

“I will specifically be supporting a friend of mine who will be competing in the 1,500, Hannah England, who finished second in the world championships last year,” Muir said. England, of Oxford, came from seventh place in the final bend to take the silver medal at the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships in South Korea.

Muir also will be following Mo Farah, the current 5,000-meter world champion.

“He is an English athlete who trains in America, and I feel that I can relate to him well as he has improved significantly since moving to the States,” she said.

Muir definitely can relate. She continued to post personal-best times throughout her collegiate career on the women’s track and field and cross country teams, and finishes that netted her All-America honors 11 times. She is the only four-time All-American in Ferris women’s cross country history.

Muir, who wanted to spend her summer after graduation basking in the Olympic glow and spending time with family and friends, will return to the U.S. in August.

“I am moving to Philadelphia to complete an MBA at LaSalle University while working as a graduate assistant coach for their cross country and track and field teams,” said Muir, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Leadership and Management at Ferris.

Running will become a hobby while she coaches and works toward her degree, but Muir said she intends to complete her first marathon in the next few years.

“I still have my dream of competing for Great Britain, and I would like to think that I have a good chance in the marathon in the future,” she said. “It would be a dream come true, but all I can do is do my best and let the result take care of itself.”