Citizens of Perry: you may not know this, but the local firefighter tending to your emergency medical needs or getting that blaze under control might also be seen on the medal stand in Brazil three years from now.
His name is Jerod Wims, and he is one step below the rank of sergeant (Firefighter 2) with the Perry Fire Department. He has quite the side hobby, training extensively and competing in major track and field events with the hope of making the U.S. Olympic team in the 200 meters, 400 meters and/or the 4×400 relay.
This isn’t something that popped into Wims’ mind while waiting for a call during a typical 24-hour shift. In fact, the former Auburn University track standout and Miami native first set his sights on the 2012 Summer Games in London. He was unable to go to the U.S. trials due to injury.
The 26-year-old Wims took up track while a junior in high school, but as for collegiate athletic goals football was the first thing on his mind. He went to Miami Carol City Senior High School.
“I didn’t see my future being in track and field,” Wims said. “It was mainly football. I had been doing that since I was 7 or 8. That was my life.
“Things happened to where I couldn’t continue with football, but I did go to college to play football. That didn’t work out, and I ended up running track.”
Wims had scholarship offers in both sports out of high school, and he attributes the track offers to a good senior year. He believes, though, things worked out for the better in his career.
In football, Wims played wide receiver. He initially attended Florida A&M, but only stayed for two semesters before transferring to Florida International with a track scholarship back home in Miami.
“That’s where I did a lot of soul searching,” said Wims. “That’s where everything started to develop and I caught the eyes of a lot of people.
“When I was at Florida A&M I didn’t get to train for track. So I got to FIU out of shape. I wasn’t running good. They were like, ‘What happened to him?’ It just took a while … had to work myself into shape, do stuff on my own.”
Wims’ FIU track career began in 2005, and he placed fifth in both the 100 and 200 meters in the Sun Belt Conference. He was also named Best Newcomer and was part of a national qualifier in the 4×100 relay (school record 39.65 seconds).
In 2008, his first at Auburn, his team tied LSU for second behind NCAA champion Florida State. In 2009, the senior team captain was a USTFCCCA All-American in the 4×100 meter relay, and he also took part in the prestigious Penn Relays held in Philadelphia.
“We have tons of people who are still running internationally,” said Wims about former Tiger teammates. “A few did make the Olympic team. They were from different places like Trinidad, the Bahamas, Jamaica and of course the U.S. It’s still a thrill to see all of us still competing on the international stage. We’re all aiming for the same goal.”
And for track athletes at the Olympic level, the older the better. Wims said world records are usually set by runners in their early 30s.
“Michael Johnson was at his peak at about 32,” he said. “Except for Usain Bolt, who was 23, 24 when he set records. I still have a ways to go. I have a lot to learn, and I’ve learned a lot. Now it’s time to put my foot down and apply all of that stuff.”
Wims does a lot of weight training, watches his diet and makes sure he gets plenty of sleep. As for workouts, Wims’ training is still led by the coaches at Auburn. He will go to the campus, and the Tiger track coach will communicate with his agent on his condition and what meets are upcoming. One of his overseas trips this year was to the 2016 Olympic country, Brazil.
“Making it on any type of relay would be major,” said Wims, explaining the number of rounds one must go through in the Olympic trials. He said the 4×400 relay is made up from the top six to eight who qualify in the 400 meters. “With the type of competition there is in the U.S., making that team is the No. 1 goal.
“It track and field, it’s different,” said Wims about what separates this sport from football. “Everybody has a lane. You get to stand out. Your hard work shows. I like that better. I like being able to control my own destiny.”
Wims’ best in the 200 meters is 20.6 seconds and 47.05 in his split of the 4×400. Going back to 2005 in college, Wims was switched to a 100-meter runner though he especially excelled in the 400.
“I tend to get injured a lot when I train for short stuff,” he said. “This year I started back running 400s. I’m relaxed and running really fast times. That’s going to be the easier way to make the team.”
So far in 2013, Wims has won eight medals worldwide (he can’t begin to count his overall number of medals). Four of them came in California during the U.S. Police and Fire Games. Obviously, there is a lot of time between now and the trials in 2016 to accumulate more hardware.
“Everybody sees the Olympics and sees these fast guys running,” said Wims. “There are thousands of meets in between. It’s a long road, a lot of meets overseas. That’s how track athletes make their money. You get your appearance fees and prize money for placing.
“The World Championships are our Olympics. That’s still a way to make the USA team and put yourself out there. That’s the top stage … the same competition in the Olympic Games.”
THE OTHER DREAM
As a child, Wims developed both an athletic dream and a service dream. That second dream led him to where he is now in the City of Perry.
“My mom’s brothers were big in the fire service,” said Wims. “Early in my life, I saw that. I was around that, the brotherhood. I just wanted to be a part of it.”
So Wims’ bios for his college teams stated an aspiration to be a firefighter. He resides in Macon, and it was his mother who found out for him that the Perry department was hiring. At first, he was reluctant, wondering how that would fit in with his track training.
“’I’ll go. I’ll check it out,’” Wims conceded. “’I’ll see how it turns out.’ It’s everything I thought it would be. It’s in my blood. Everybody around here is so supportive. I can’t imagine doing without it.”
Wims’ firefighting career began in 2010.
“I like to help people,” he said. “Everything I do revolves around helping others. Whether it’s putting out fires or medical calls or accidents, I like how it feels at the end of the day that I did as much as I could to make others’ lives better.”
Wims also does some track coaching at the high school level at Windsor Academy and with other athletes individually.
‘IT WON’T GO AWAY’
Wims is also committed to training and competing the right way. The track world received another blow within the past week when Tyson Gay, the American 100-meter record holder, tested positive for a banned substance and will not run in August’s world championships.
“That’s going to be around for a while,” said Wims. “(Gay) put his trust in someone, and he let him down. That’s not the Jerod Wims way of doing things. I’m not going to judge him because I do know Tyson Gay. I ran against him when he was at Arkansas. Naturally, he has God-given abilities, runs marvelous times.
“I can only stay focused on what I have to do, and that’s stay clean. It’s a recurring thing. It won’t go away. You are going to have people who will try to get away with things. I’m still a little shocked (about Gay). The doping agency, it’s their job to find out, and they will find out.”
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