“[McClain] is the reason that I fell in love with track and the reason that I find it a family,” Choudhury said.

A gymnast for most of her life, Choudhury had not planned on joining track and field — until she met McClain, a former gymnast turned a track and field athlete. Once on the team, Choudhury gravitated to find herself interested in triple jump, an event that uses similar skill sets to gymnastics, an event that McClain also competed in during the tryouts for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the start beginning of Chouduryís freshman year, McClain gave the light-weighted red running spikes to her, spikes that Choudhury continues to use to this day.

“[McClain] was always so energetic and so enthusiastic, and whenever someone did something well, she would start jumping up and down,” Choudhury said.

To Choudhury, McClain is not only  a coach, but also a role model. Aside from being a former Olympian, McClain is also studying in the MBA program in Berkeley and is trying to become an entrepreneur. Choudhury is motivated by her enthusiasm, energy and breadth of knowledge ó characteristics that, nowadays, Choudhury likes to identify herself with.

“She is just amazing,” Choudhury said. “I want to be like her.”