Taking a deep breath, senior Kat Beachler cradles the heavy metal orb in her palm, her gaze fixed on the field as she channels years of training and passion into a singular moment. With a pivot of her body, she releases the orb, her eyes following its trajectory until it hits the ground at 46 feet and 6 inches.
Beachler has been a thrower since she could walk, with her mother as her coach. Competing in local competitions since the age of three and has now spent a decade competing at the regional level and is on her way to national competitions.
“Every morning she insisted I bring her to practice with my older throwers to watch. I think that’s where her love began for throwing. But once she stepped into that ring at 3 years old, with a tennis ball in hand, I could see her eyes light up like mine once did,” Lisa Charles, Beachler’s mother said.
Charles, who herself represented the USA at the first-ever World Youth Championship in Poland. Charles aspired for Beachler to follow in her footsteps, aiming not only for USA championships but also a successful throwing career from a young age.
“Seeing my daughter take after me made me excited to see how far she would go in her career in track and field. I understood everything she had to go through to get to where she is now,” Charles said.
Having her best season yet, Beachler beat her previous high school record at an invitational on March 30th. She set her new Personal Record (PR) at a big competition in shot put at 47 feet 1.75 inches and is now only four feet off her discus record.
“Being able to hit a PR knowing my form is still off is exciting because I know I have a lot more in the tank,” Beachler said.
Training with her mom as her coach for 15 years, Beachler has transformed both as a person and an athlete.
“Kat has by far exceeded anything she has ever done. She is as true an athlete as you will ever come across, from her strength, speed, and sheer athleticism. I am beyond proud of her performance in Kansas,” Charles said.
On April 20th, Beachler qualified for Nike nationals in shot put at the KU Relay Regionals, beating her old high school record with an improvement of 8.75 inches. She is now focused on her form for Nike nationals in June.
“I have a set schedule on where I need to be for NXN so I can be ready in time. I do specific workouts that are already laid out for me every week and practice for about an hour and a half after,” Beachler said.
To improve her score and stick to her schedule, Beachler practices 5-6 days a week and lifts four days out of seven, despite her busy schedule, she always finds time for physical therapy for her hips and past shoulder injuries.
“Kat trains for this year-round, with a minimum of four days a week lifting, getting her plyo work in, as well as practicing all four of her throwing events, which all require lots of training for it to all come together when we need it to at state, NXN and especially at college,” Charles said.
Brigham Young University, a Division 1 school, wanted Beachler to be a part of their team because of her great attitude and ability to compete under pressure. Her final competition will be in June at NXN before she heads to a new chapter of her life in Utah.
“Now that I’m getting ready to embark on my new journey, with a new coach, and a new team, I want to cherish every last memory from all the trips, every win, and every training session that I can get with my mom,” Beachler said.
For Beachler and Charles, track and field has been a way to connect on a deeper level. They see all the small fights as something that helped them grow closer together.
“Every competition I went to, I could look over my shoulder, and my mom would be right there, cheering me on. She has been my teacher, fiercest supporter, and the greatest coach for not only me but for others,” Beachler said.