Sam Atkin has taken part in and won numerous races at the college and professional level, even reaching the last two Olympic Games, but that doesn’t mean he is particularly fond of the spotlight.
This past fall, the NAIA welcomed Sam Atkin — the five-year Lewis-Clark State Warrior and two-time Olympian from Grimsby, England — to its Hall of Fame.
The NAIA held its annual national convention over the weekend, but Atkin was officially honored at the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships in November. Before the race, he listened to a reading of his accomplishments.
“I’m standing there next to him, just watching him hate every second of it, but I enjoyed every second of it, because he deserves that so much because of everything he’s accomplished,” said Alisha Alexander, LC State’s assistant athletic director for sports information.