Lolo Jones isn’t waiting until 2016 to compete on the Olympic stage again; she’s headed to Sochi, Russia this month to compete as an Olympic bobsledder.

A Summer and Winter Olympian, Jones is a graduate of Des Moines (Iowa) Roosevelt High School where she was the state’s fastest 100-meter hurdler.

The success Jones experienced on the track – winning the 100-meter hurdles, and the 100- and 200-meter dashes her senior year, as well as being named the Gatorade Midwest Athlete of the year – was not without obstacles.

As a child, her family moved often once living in a church basement. When the family was set to move again, Jones wanted to continue competing at Roosevelt, so she moved in with foster families.

In addition to her athletic success, Jones was a good student and played cello in the school orchestra

Achievements at the high school level led to a scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU). While competing at LSU, she was an 11-time NCAA All-American and the NCAA outdoor 4×100 meters champion and the NCAA indoor 60-meter hurdles champion twice.

Jones didn’t stop competing after she graduated from LSU in 2005. She went on to be 2008 and 2010 World Indoor champion in the 60-meter hurdles.

From there, she went on to compete in the Summer Olympics – Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. In 2008, Jones finished seventh in the 100-meter hurdles after clipping the second to last hurdle. In 2012, she finished fourth.

After leaving London without a medal in hurdles, Jones looked for a new way to achieve her Olympic dream. Vancouver Olympian and bronze medalist Elana Meyers introduced Jones to bobsledding. In January, Jones was officially named to Team USA after two silver medal performances in 2013-14 World Cup competitions and a gold, silver and bronze in 2012-13 World Cup competitions.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association in 2009 honored Jones by featuring her on a sportsmanship-citizenship poster. She was also named Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year in 2008 following a donation of her Olympic Trials prize money to a single mother who suffered during the 2008 Iowa floods.

Jones also gives back to her high school alma mater. She has provided track spikes to girls on the Roosevelt team and has donated money to the school to repair the track and purchase hurdles.

Writer’s Note: Originally published in the February 2014 Edition of “High School Today”