Greetings!!! My name is Lamont Dagen. Thanks for taking the time out to visit my website. I hope that once you leave this site you will be more educated about the sport of track and field, what it has to offer, and of course about ME! I am currently training for the 2008 Olympic Games in the triple jump here in Kenosha, WI. I was born September 30 in Chicago, Illinois, son of William and Beatrice Dagen. At the age of seven I competed in the Al Carter Youth Foundation Cabrini Green Option Olympics. I was actually in a unique situation because I was too big to compete with the kids in my age group so I had to move up in age groups in order to compete. Little did I know that this would be a sign of what my future would hold. I competed in a 50 yard dash and the long jump that day, beating the older boys fair and square. I was able to walk away with my first medals, which I still have to this day.

Growing up in Cabrini Green wasn’t easy. I’ve seen gang initiations, drug transactions and, people get shot and killed all before the age of nine. The things that I’ve seen as an adolescent most people won’t see in a lifetime. Having a heavy influence of gangs and drugs around me, I was pulled in many directions both good and bad, life became more about survival. At the age of 10 when my family moved out of the Cabrini area to the Austin area I thought things would be better because I wasn’t in the same environment, but even in the Austin area (Westside of Chicago) I had to figure out how to survive.

Survival is one of the reasons I never really thought about running after the Al Carter Olympics. Most people would think that after I ran for world record holder (Ken Lowery) at Oscar F. Mayer elementary school, placed 6th and 5th at the Illinois state meet while attending Lane Technical High School, along with becoming an Indoor State Champion, and after being highly recruited out of high school that I would take track more seriously, I didn’t. I wanted a better way of life, one with less fear of gang and drug violence, but I did realize that my talents were my way to go to college.

I ended up accepting a track scholarship to Chicago State University and although I wasn’t happy about being there because I wanted to go away to college, my objective at that time was still the same, have my talents earn me a free education. After my freshman and sophomore years at Chicago State and becoming a 4 time Mid-Continent Conference Champion in the triple jump I wanted to transfer. I just didn’t feel like I was living up my potential as an athlete and I didn’t feel like going to College in Chicago. So I told my coach (Sudie Davis) I wanted to leave and he allowed me to look for another school to attend, but no one wanted to take me because I only had a foot and a half improvement from high school and my first two years of college. So I decided to stop complaining and do the work needed to succeed. I worked hard that summer and opened up my junior season with a new PR, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships and qualifying for the USA Indoor Championships. My junior season changed my whole outlook on track and field. I went to the USA Indoor Championships that year placing 5th and I was the only collegiate in the field. That was the exposure and taste of “elite” I needed to finally say “I think I can do something in this sport.” By the time my college career was over I had become an 8-time Mid-Continent Conference Champion, 4-Time NCAA Provisional Qualifier, and 2-time Chicago State University athlete of the year.

After college I wanted to explore the option of competing as a post-collegiate, but felt I needed to make a change in order to get to the next level. So I moved to Madison, Wisconsin to work with Mark Napier and Jerome Romain (World Championship Bronze Medalist). Working with them was the opportunity I needed to allow me to achieve my athletic goals. Through their guidance I was able to qualify and compete in the US Olympic trials in 2004 and chase my dream of making the Olympic team. Competing at the Olympic trials was biggest highlight of my track career to date, but it was cut short due to a back injury suffered during the first jump of the trials competition bringing my dream to a halt. I even had two doctors tell me to retire and give up on track and field, but I believed I had more left in me. Although the injury stopped me that day I kept pushing and went on to equal and through God’s will I set new PR’s in the triple jump in 2005 and 2006 and I vowed that I would return to the Olympic Trials and make the Olympic team.

Which brings me to today, I have strived and pushed to make my dreams a reality and through all adversity I’ve continued to succeed. Yes working a full-time job, as a teacher (Central Junior High School, Zion, IL) part-time as a coach (Carthage College) and training makes it difficult for me to compete against guys, with sponsorship, that just train full time, but I don’t use that as an excuse, again I keep pushing. Some people have asked me why do I keep training and my reply to them is, why not? Most people don’t chase their dreams and end up playing “the what if” game with themselves, wondering what could have been. At least I know that I gave it all I had to achieve my goals.

While I continue to train I want to thank everyone who helped me get to this point. I greatly appreciate the support. I could not have done it without your help. I want share with anyone who is reading this the same advice I give to my students. “You have to chase your dreams to live your dreams.” Dream big and never give up. I haven’t. See you in 08.