T&F Report: Olympian Athing Mu says Texas A&M is home away from home

Just weeks away from the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics, and perhaps the greatest Texas A&M Track & Field star of all time will be there. Athing Mu and Pat Henry took the time to join us in-studio on Wednesday's edition of TexAgs Radio.

Key notes from Athing Mu interview

• I don't realize that everyone knows who I am now. I feel it when I'm at the grocery store or if people DM on Instagram. It hasn't hit me that people know who I am yet. I feel like some people are afraid to come up to me, which is funny.
   
• I love my teammates, especially my 800m group. They're the best and have been my family since I got on this campus. They made every moment and accomplishment I've had mean so much more.
   
• I didn't know what Texas A&M was three years ago. I didn't watch my first collegiate track and field meet since I was a junior. The 2016 Olympics were the first meet I ever watched. The recruiting process came, and I knew I wanted to go to college. I went to an AAU meet in Houston, and it was so hot. I never wanted to come back to Texas. My main school was Oregon. One of the people told me to consider Texas A&M. I met Milton Mallard at Nationals in 2019. Texas A&M was my first home visit and my first official visit. I fell in love with coach Mallard because he was so nice. The people were so genuine here. It just felt like home and somewhere I wanted to be. I have a home away from home where the people appreciated me and wanted the best for me.
   
• Sometimes I know I'm breaking a record, but the majority of the time, you're just running and trying to get to the line. With my 1:56, I didn't know I was going that fast. I just didn't want to get caught. It depends on the day. Sometimes I know I'm running a fast time, but usually, I just wait for the times after.
   
• Back in high school, Sydney McLaughlin was huge when I was a freshman. Everyone knew her, and she was breaking every record. I wanted to do the same thing. Brandon Miller was one of those people too. To do that now, I'm happy I can do it, and I'm happy to have these records. At the same time, it feels normal because I've been working towards this for the last few years. Now I'm focused on what else I can do.
   
• Coming off that run at the Olympic Trials, I'm working on recovering my body. It was a hectic month for me. I'm resting my mind and my body. I leave on July 24. So I'm getting back to training and practicing. That's all I've been doing.
   
• For me, the difference I've had compared to other new Olympians is that I've been around Team USA and running in youth Olympics for a while. I've experienced being around the best athletes and the world athletes before. It's not super new to me. Being that it's the Olympics, it is super big and exciting. I'm trying to treat it like any other meet.
   
• When I was 16, I broke the American record in the 600m indoors. Since then, people have been contacting my coaches about going professional. It's always something I wanted to do, but I didn't know. Having this year allowed me to grow athletically to help me make this decision. Going through the process was harder than I expected, but it makes me feel so much better being done with it.
   
• Texas A&M is a land of the most genuine people I've ever met. I feel like I'm a genuine person, and I love love. There are so many resources in academics and athletics. It's so well-rounded here. I have everything I need to be successful here.