The Warm Up Track 2026: Anna Cockrell – There’s my dream, go get it

Anna Cockrell won 400 hurdles silver at the Paris Olympic Games. In her event, the build-up had focussed on the head-to-head between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol. It was the defending champion and world record holder against the reigning world champion.

Anna was aware of that conversation but also knew that she was in the form of her life. In the finishing straight, she passed Bol to claim the silver medal behind McLaughlin-Levrone. She didn’t believe it until she saw her name come up on the board in the stadium. When it did, the time next to Anna’s name was the fourth fastest in history.

The road to the Olympic podium was difficult. Going back to 2019, Anna was ready to quit track and field. She was carrying the weight of her own expectations and everyone else’s. Her college coach saw she was struggling with depression and sent her to see a therapist. A lot of self-discovery and trial and error followed as she began rebuilding.

In 2021, the same year that her brother won the Superbowl, Anna made her first Olympic team. She reached the final in Tokyo, but finished down the field before being disqualified for running out of her lane. The transition from college athlete to the pro ranks was next, and it wasn’t easy. In 2022, her first year as a professional, she didn’t make the world championship team and got injured as well. It was during the 2023 season that she and her coach started figuring things out. Anna finished fifth at that year’s worlds – learning lessons she’d carry into Olympic year and onto the podium in Paris.

We discuss the prospect of winning gold at a home Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

Some of her friends have already bought their tickets for her final at the LA Games – Anna says they know the schedule better than she does!

Anna’s family, her parents and her siblings, have helped to shape her – that really shines through in this episode. Also listen out for when the Kardashians get a mention – a first for the Warm Up Track!

Photo: Silver medalist Anna Cockrell of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the Women's 400m Hurdles medal ceremony on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 09, 2024 in Paris, France. (Credit: Getty Images)