Three Olympic athletes spent the day at South Dakota Mines to share what it takes to be a professional athlete

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Three Olympic athletes headed to the South Dakota School of Mines Thursday to share their stories with the Hardrocker track and field team, about what being an athlete means to them.

Chris nelson, Deanna price, and Payton Otterdahl are touring South Dakota to share the importance of what working hard, training right, and eating healthy can do for an athlete.

They say it comes down to training hard and finding what is right for your body in order to remain healthy. The three advocate for athletes through their own experiences of being professional athletes and what it takes to get to that level.

They stress that becoming a professional athlete begins at a young age with the right diet, schedule, and support system.

“Try to make everything as important in your own head as you do 2 to 5 because I feel like that’s what I would’ve wanted to know back then. I didn’t eat or sleep as well as I should have but I trained really hard, I feel like if you take training and sleeping and eating all at the same level of severity then things will get a lot easier a lot faster,” said Chris Nelson, professional pole vaulter and Olympian.

For more information on their program head to buildyourbase.org.