Community Corner

Local Family to Cheer Son, Trey Hardee, at 2012 London Olympics

Jim and Deborah Hardee will soon head to London to cheer for Jim's son, Trey, a decathlete on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.

When nearby Roswell resident Jim Hardee's son, Trey, steps up to compete in the track and field events during the 2012 London Olympics, he'll prove a lifetime of naysayers wrong and, quite literally, hurdle all the obstacles.

A world class decathlete who made an appearance at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing and has won two back-to-back gold medals in the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Trey wasn't always thought to be a golden boy in the world of sports. His high school basketball coach once told him he had no athletic ability and cut him from the team.

"It's kind of ironic," he said.

Find out what's happening in Cummingwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jim said the cut pushed Trey toward track and field events.

He soon became a standout athlete and was recruited by college teams, ending up at Mississippi State University, where he placed second in the 2004 NCAA decathlon championship. But the hurdles on the track weren't the only ones he faced when the school cut his program later that same year. Trey didn't let the slight hiccup detour him from pursuing his athletic ambitions. He transferred to the University of Texas where he went on to win the 2005 NCAA decathlon championship. In 2006 he was named the NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.

Find out what's happening in Cummingwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After college Trey signed a contract with Nike to continue training and competing in track and field events professionally. In 2008, after a great start in the Beijing Olympics decathlon event, he fell short of a medal with a no-height score in the pole vault.

"It was an experience that really was good for him on a lot of levels because it was his first big international meet and it sort of woke him up a little bit," Jim said.

Trey learned from the experience and went on place first in both the 2009 and 2011 world championship decathlon events.

"He was competing against all the same people [who were at Beijing] and he wins the gold medal," said Jim, pointing out that Trey's one of only a few people from the U.S. to ever win the gold at the championships.

But the victory wasn't entirely sweet and Trey still had a few obstacles to face.

On his last javelin throw at the 2011 championships he tore his UCL from the bone.

"Typically, for a lot of people, that's a career ending injury," Jim said.

Orthopedic surgeon James Andrews - well known for operating on high profile professional athletes - performed surgery on Trey late last year, a recovery that often takes 12 or more months of rehab.

With only eight months to rehab his elbow before Olympic trials, Trey focused on his goal.

"He's rehabbed himself and trained and made the Olympic team in that time," said Jim. "A normal person would have had a hard time just using the elbow."

Jim is proud of his son for staying disciplined despite setbacks. Trey's family and friends will head to London soon, where they'll be there to cheer him on as he competes in the 10 decathlon events, Aug. 8-9.

"As a parent it's so nerve-wracking," Jim said.

But, despite the games outcome for Trey, Jim said he's most proud of his son's journey.

"It's something everyone can relate to," he said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here