One brief exchange with an NBA basketball player made all of Jared Ward's efforts to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics worth it.
"At the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, I asked Kevin Durant for a fist bump. He turned around and said, 'Seriously, bro, I love the 'stache,'" Ward said. "That made the trip worth it."
The meeting with Durant was one of several topics that Ward, a BYU statistics professor and member of the LDS Church, recently discussed in an article published by Runner's World.
Among other stories shared, Ward mentioned eating for an hour at McDonald's after finishing sixth in his Rio event; the standing ovation he received from students after the Olympic Trials; his hobby of hiking to collect rocks; his family support and the only times he shaves his mustache.
"I only shave it on Christmas and my wife's birthday. I wouldn't dare race without it," Ward said in the article. "For one, nobody would recognize me."
Read the full article here.
Ward, a Kaysville resident, recently competed in the Boston Marathon, and despite stomach problems six miles into the race, finished in 10th place, according to a Deseret News article.
"I had hoped for more in terms of place and time," Ward said in the article. "But I was pleased with my effort."
In an interview with the Deseret News last August, Ward and his wife, Erica Ward, discussed the ups and downs of his running journey to the Rio Games.
"I remember having (a) spiritual experience, praying, and just thinking, 'I don’t know if I should do this,'" Ward told the Deseret News. "But I just felt like 'I'm supposed to do this. I'm supposed to be a runner.' That helped give me the motivation to find ways to make it fun."