What Does It Feel Like to Be An Olympian? Ask New County Employee

Wellness Coordinator William Erese Represented His Native Nigeria in the 96 Atlanta Summer Games 

New County Wellness Coordinator William Erese, a former Olympic hurdler, presented Ivy Hill, an admissions clerk at the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital, with fruits and vegetables for being a winner of the Employee Wellness Program's 2nd Quarter Fruit & Vegetable Challenge.

William Erese felt a chilly breeze as he walked through an underground tunnel toward the Olympic Stadium and his big race. The temperature that summer morning in Atlanta had dipped to an unusually low 45 degrees. It was rainy and damp to boot.

Still, as Erese, now 35 and the County’s new Wellness Coordinator, neared the enormous venue, he could hear the crowd cheering, clapping and even blowing horns. He finally reached the stadium floor and began to take in the staggering scene: a massive sea of people, 80,000 strong, encircled him. The biggest crowd that ever watched him race before? Maybe 2,000. Adrenaline filled his body as he was about to represent his native Nigeria in the 110 meter hurdles event at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.

“I was like, ‘wow,’ this many people showed up?” Erese said. “And they didn’t just show up, they were actively involved…It felt really, really good.”

Few expected Erese to even become an athlete. Growing up as the son of a well-respected high school principal, most thought he would follow his father’s career path into academia. His mother was a nurse.

Then Erese discovered Track and Field. Bored one day at age 13, he found himself at a local stadium in his hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, watching runners compete in a big, multi-sport festival. 

“I just fell in love with it, after watching a four by 100 meter relay,” Erese said.

He approached the coaches and they agreed to let him train with the team for next year's competition. Within a few years, Erese had found his calling: the 110 meter hurdles, an all-out sprint that required both power and flexibility. Erese quickly turned into an unstoppable force, racking up state and national titles at a dizzying pace during his teenage years in Nigeria. It became clear to his family and community that sports must be part of his focus, along with school.

“One of my biggest supporters was my Dad,” Erese said. “He taught me that if I took it seriously, it would become something I would gain from…He said, your body will get old, but your brain will never get old.”

So Erese went for it, and in 1995, he shattered the African record in the 110 meter hurdles, which had previously stood for 24 years, with a time of 13.53 seconds. From there, he said his name “blew up.” BBC, the Voice of America and all the major newspapers in Africa interviewed him. He became the first Nigerian to race in the 110 meter hurdles in the World Championships later that year in Sweden and college recruiters started calling from American universities, including USC, Harvard and the University of Indiana. He graduated from USC with a degree in Kinesiology in 2001, winning the 110 meter hurdles at the PAC 10 Championships two years in a row.

And while he did not advance beyond the first round at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Erese described the experience as unforgettable and a source of great pride. Among the most important, vivid moments for him was watching legendary boxer Muhammad Ali light the Olympic flame at the Opening Ceremonies.

“That was probably the most moving moment at the Games,” he said.

Erese came oh-so-close to competing in another Olympics four years later. He qualified for the 2000 Sydney Games as part of the Nigerian Track and Field team again, but a heartbreaking last minute back injury prevented him from going. In all, his extraordinary athletic career took him to more than 30 countries and taught him many life lessons, which he applies to his career now. He retired from running in 2005.

“It plays a major role when you talk about persevering,” he said. “You may have the best plan but things may not go the way they were designed.”

He learned the importance of “staying the course” and not getting flustered when things didn’t go as expected. He said a strong work ethic and not letting success get to his head helped him greatly in athletics.

In his newly created position in the Department of Human Resources, Erese will focus on helping improve the health of others. He will build upon what he calls the County’s already strong foundation of wellness efforts. He will work on the Employee Wellness program and he wants to form new partnerships and innovative health education offerings for employees. Erese also wants to include as many employees as possible, even if they are already doing things the right way in terms of eating right and exercising.

At the same time, “we don’t want people to feel targeted because of the conditions they have,” he said.

In time for his first day of work July 18, Erese and his family relocated from the Los Angeles area, where he previously worked as Director of Health and Fitness at the Glendale Police Department.

His new department hasn’t wasted any time recruiting him to be on a team for Thrive Across America, the County’s third quarter “Getting Fit and Staying Fit” Challenge. It’s an online physical activity program where participants log exercise time and travel from Maine to Hawaii along a virtual route. Erese works out between two and two and a half hours a day, so he shouldn’t have a problem keeping up.

As for his Olympics experience, he said it doesn’t come up that often in conversation. His focus has mostly shifted to his career, family and other parts of his life. A lot of people don’t even know he is a former Olympian, he said. But it’s never far from his mind.

“It was an amazing experience that I still think about a lot,” he said.

For more information on the Thrive Across America or other wellness programs, visit the Employee Wellness Program’s webpage or email Erese at William.Erese@sdcounty.ca.gov.

  Erese takes part in the Opening Ceremonies at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games with his teammates. Erese is pictured in the center, holding the camera.