“Yes, they do.” Betty spun her diamond ring around her finger. “It’s just that I want to work harder.”
She expected him to laugh at her, but he remained expressionless. “Harder, huh? Didn’t you set a world record in the hundred? You’ve got a gold medal already. A silver in the relay too, right?”
Betty’s mouth felt dry. Her tongue seemed to stick to the roof of her mouth. “I recently lost a race. I came in second at the National AAU Championships back in July.”
“If I recall the newspaper reports, it was a close finish. Could have gone either way. I’m sure you’ll be just fine for the Olympic team when the time comes.” He dropped his gaze back to his papers as if dismissing her, but she didn’t budge.
“It’s just that I felt like something was missing in Dallas. Some motivation.” She paused. Coach Hill raised his gaze and squinted at her as if refocusing. She had his attention now. “After Amsterdam the IOC announced it was planning to ban women from future Olympics, and I worked like the devil with my teammates to have us reinstated, but the refusal disappointed me more than I was willing to admit. If I’m honest, my motivation suffered. I slacked off on my training.”
“That’s understandable.”
“Well, the IOC met last spring and reinstated us, so now I want to be ready to race in Los Angeles. You have a record of getting terrific results from your racers. Let me train with you. I really want this. Please.”
He sat back. “I’m sure a girl like you has options for all kinds of pursuits.”
A girl like you. She hated having her ambitions dismissed by people who thought they knew everything about her. She gritted her teeth, but kept her face earnest. “I want to show everyone that I’m better than ever.”
“You’d be the only lady here. What do you think about that?”
“I can handle it.”
“I don’t doubt it. But I don’t want you to distract my fellas either. They’re serious about racing and my job is to coach them. There’s nothing in my contract about coaching women.”
“I understand. I won’t do anything to get in the way of your job.”
“And I don’t want you flitting about looking for a husband on my team.”
“Sir, with all due respect, do you really think if I was in the market for a husband I’d spend my time running? I can’t think of a better way to scare most men off.”
Coach Hill barked with laughter. “Fine. Based on everything I’ve read, you’re a talented runner. Now it’s time to add some discipline to your routines and start some healthy habits, like eating correctly and sleeping enough every night. If I decide to work with you, I’d put you on a diet of specific foods and give you a sleep log. And no smoking. If I take you on, you’ll have to follow my directions. Are you ready to give up some fun in exchange for running better?”
Betty squared her shoulders. This was the opportunity she wanted, and though she hated begging, she would do it. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Fine, you can start training with my team, but if it’s not working out, I reserve the right to stop our arrangement at any time.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And another thing. No dating my boys. Do you understand? Look elsewhere for that kind of entertainment.”
“No dating your athletes. Got it.”
“You say that now, but this deal includes my welcoming committee out there, Bill Riel. No dating Bill or any of them.”
Bill was on the track team? She glanced to the door, flustered, but quickly straightened. How had Coach Hill known about their conversation?
“Of course, sir, none of them. I’m here to run.”
One of Coach Hill’s nostrils flared as if he caught a whiff of uncertainty in the air, but he nodded. “If you want to start with the indoor season, be here on Monday. There’s no women’s locker room, but there are a couple of changing rooms on the ground floor. You can use those.”
BETTY SPENT FALL training with the men’s track team and racing during the indoor season. Under Coach Hill’s rigorous coaching, her times improved, and she built confidence. He urged her to try longer distances, so she added the 220-yard dash to her repertoire and experienced promising results. Through it all, she found the men on the track team to be friendly and supportive. And competitive.
One afternoon as she worked on starts, she stumbled as she rose and Ned Martin, a sophomore on the team, called out, “Hey, Robinson, don’t trip and break your ankle. You won’t beat Stella Walsh hobbling around on one foot.”
She laughed and put her hand on her hip. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ned. Now don’t trip over that ego of yours when you head home tonight for an exciting evening of backgammon with your mother.”
They all chuckled at the ribbing, and even Coach Hill cracked a smile as he headed over to the high-jump area. Betty ran a couple more laps around the indoor track, dividing the distances into varying levels of effort as Coach Hill had advised. When she began her cool-down, Bill caught up with her and ran at her side. Outside the gymnasium’s windows, the light faded into a deep, velvety blue.
“I hear you’re planning to race at the next Olympics,” he said.
“I hope to, yes.”
“So that’ll mean you’re a two-time Olympian.”
“First I need to qualify again, remember?”
“I’m pretty sure you’ll be heading to California and going to fancy Hollywood parties next summer while all of us chumps are trying to cool off in Lake Michigan.”
She laughed. The two ran the straightaway, their breathing the only sound between them. Since she’d met Bill on her first day, he always offered compliments on her races and made small talk while they practiced.
“Say, I’ve worked up an appetite,” he said. “Would you have any interest in going out for dinner after this?”
“I can’t. When I joined this team, I promised Coach I
