By Mark Gregory
@Hear_The_Beard
For the last four years, Bolingbrook native Troy Doris has had his sights set on competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janerio, Brazil – however the way he is getting there may seem unconventional to some.
Doris will compete in the triple jump, representing the country of Guyana, the fourth-smallest country on mainland South America. Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Suriname to the east and Venezuela to the west.
Doris is Guyanese by naturalization, with both his parents being born there and coming to America at a young age.
“It has been years of anticipation and hope for this moment,” Doris said. “I used to compete for the U.S, but I felt that switching to Guyana just gave me a better opportunity for track and field. The U.S. is more competitive and I knew I could have done it, there are just so many people that I know that I know there are chances to miss out on competing in these Olympic games even if you are one of the best in the world.”
Doris had been the No. 2 ranked jumper in the world earlier this year, but he knows with a talented American contingent competing for a bid at Rio, one bad day could have saw him miss out on his opportunity.
“Now that everyone is established, I am currently No. 6 in the world, which is phenomenal, but I see how quick things change,” Doris said. “I have had a number of bad days. Thankfully I have had more good days than bad days to cover them up. It is just crazy to keep myself in a situation to be ranked this high and maybe not be able to compete with some of the best in the world.”
The better chance to compete was not the only reason Doris chose to compete for Guyana – there is a sense of national pride within his parents and family.
“I am excited to compete to compete for Guyana and I have wanted to compete for them since 2012,” he said. “I have roots there and my family is from Guyana and it is very sentimental for them and now that I have the opportunity to compete, I am taking full advantage. For me to be in a situation to be the guy representing them is amazing.”
Guayana is slated to have only four track competitors and two swimmers represent the country in the games, so Doris knows it will be a more intimate experience.
“It gives you the feeling that more eyes are on you from the country,” he said. “There is no pressure, but they are expecting good things. It is a grand situation. This is not just me doing it for me, I am doing it for my family and I am doing it for a whole country. I am doing it for recognition, which is crazy.”
There has only been one Olympic medalist in the history of Guyana, as bantamweight boxer Michael Anthony earned a bronze medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union.
Rio will not be the first time Doris has competed overseas and he said he has enjoyed all of the experiences.
“I have always appreciated the professionals that were in my situation that I looked up to, but I think what has gotten me to the point where I am able to go all over and compete is the fact that since high school until now, I just take it year by year and try and do my best and appreciate every moment I get out of it,” he said. “It just so happens that the moments are getting bigger and bigger and they are to the point to where I am competing against the best in the world and I have a chance to travel the world and have these neat experiences and experience other cultures is something that I never imagined I would do as a 15-year old jumping in high school.”
While at Bolingbrook, Doris owns two of the top 20 best triple jumps in Illinois history, including the No. 2 spot with a state championship leap of 52-feet, 3-inches his senior season in 2007. He also claimed the state title in the event his junior year and won the long jump his senior year.
The then had a successful career at the University of Iowa before turning professional after graduation.
“It was an interest freshman year and sophomore year it became an obsession,” Doris said. “Then, my junior and senior year, I had significant progression and I knew then I could take it serious and go to college and professional. I knew it was meant for me.”
Knowing it was meant for him meant a shot at the Olympics, which now that it is a reality, was not something Doris was going to skip the games because of something like Zika Virus, which has been the reason some of the world’s top golfers and basketball players have passed on going.
“I understand because like for the basketball players, their focus is on winning the NBA title. But for track, this is what you work so hard for and it is not easy to just give up on it,” he said. “I can only control what I can control. I can’t control the political situations and I can’t control Zika virus, so I just worry about what I can control.”
What Doris will look to control is his opportunity and bring an Olympic home for Guyana and for Bolingbrook.