Whittaker sisters set to take on the 2024 Paris Olympics

In the words of Michael Johnson, the 1996 400 meter Olympic champion and former World Record holder, “There was no reason to miss a training session…It takes what it takes…Success doesn’t really care about what you believe you deserve.”

Colloquially known as the Whittasistas, local heroines Bella and Juliette Whittaker will shortly embark on their journey to Paris for the 2024 Olympiad. The story of two sisters earning an Olympic berth is the obvious angle, but there is far more to the story than a couple of sisters hanging out together in Paris. The whole process, the whole journey, and the whole challenge of making the Olympics is often left out. For the sisters, this is their craft and they are professionals with a professional attitude towards training, preparation, and recovery.

A few things in their rise to Olympians should be noted. Bella and Juliette are two of the greatest Maryland high school athletes of all time. In 2019, they led de Sales to their first outdoor championship since 2003. Both Bella and Juliette qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials, which is the prequel to this story, and that experience helped guide the way to where they are now. Furthermore, both Bella and Juliette attend two of the most prestigious and demanding academic universities in the nation, where they have had to balance high level training with a heavy academic workload.

After competing among the best of the best at the U.S. Olympic Trials and earning a spot on Team USA, both Bella and Juliette will compete among the world’s best in Paris. They have gone through the ranks of high school to NCAA to the Olympic Trials, but the Olympics themselves are a different game. Through their extreme dedication, hard work, and perseverance, Bella and Juliette are set for the next challenge.

Mount de Sales hosted a very nice send off to honor Bella and Juliette for their accomplishment. Those in attendance had their chance to show their appreciation and get a picture with the sisters, an opportunity that would not happen in other professional sports.

Now it’s back to business; the pressure in Paris will be immense, and the stakes are high.

Below, Bella and Juliette graciously took some time following the send off party at their alma mater to discuss the upcoming Olympics.