Michelle Atherley wears the tattoo on the inside of her left arm like a badge of triumph: “My ambition is my weaponry,’’ it reads.
“I just like the line,’’ Atherley said. “It’s a quote from a song. Where I’m from it’s pretty difficult to get a scholarship or anything outside of the town.’’
“Pretty difficult’’ doesn’t even being to describe the accomplishment Atherley achieved last week at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama.
Atherley, a 23-year-old University of Miami senior who competed her freshman year for Auburn, became the 11th Miami Hurricane in history to win a national title in track and field.