RICHMOND, Ky. – During his stellar career at Eastern Kentucky University, Ole Hesselbjerg competed on some of the biggest stages in the NCAA. In August, he will compete on one of the biggest stages in the world.
 
Hesselbjerg will represent his native Denmark in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Summer Olympics in Rio. He is only EKU's second Summer Olympian ever.
 
We caught up with Hesselbjerg to talk to him about training for Rio and his time at EKU.
 
EKUSports: Reaching the Olympics has been a lifelong goal of yours. How exciting is it to reach that goal and what does it mean to you to get to represent Denmark on the biggest stage in the world?
 
Ole Hesselbjerg: I am extremely excited to stand on that starting line with the best runners in the world, on the biggest stage in my sport. To know all the hours of hard work have paid off and to accomplish a dream is huge. I am proud to represent my country and to be only the third Dane ever to compete at the Olympics in the steeplechase.
 
ES: What did you do once you graduated from EKU in 2015? Did you go right into training for the Olympics?

OH: After graduating from EKU, I decided to focus on my running and do everything I could to qualify for Rio. That meant no school, and I worked only a few hours every week at a restaurant in Copenhagen called Warpigs so that I had time to train and do everything right. Warpigs gave me great freedom to train and travel at the same time. This was only possible because of Nike and my running club Sparta, which is also based out of Copenhagen.
 
I spent a lot of time at training camps, one of which was five weeks in Flagstaff, Arizona with (former EKU runner) Thijs Nijhuis and my friend Nick Jensen. We chose Flagstaff because of the altitude and so I could race at Payton Jordan (in Stanford, California), the same place Coach Erdmann took me as a senior, where I ran the school steeplechase record (8:33.22).

I ran 8.30.51 at Payton Jordan in my first race of this season, and that's my fastest time ever. The Olympic qualifying time was 8.30.00, so when the

qualifying period was done and I hadn't hit the mark, I was bummed out. However, I knew that not enough runners in the world had hit the time, and that they would fill up the event with the people closest to the mark. Luckily for me, I was number 44 out of the 45 people that got in!
 
ES: How did you find out you'd made the Olympic team? What was your initial reaction?

OH: I got a phone call from the Danish Federation telling me I was going to Rio, and I was really happy. But, due to an official press release, I was not allowed to tell people. It was a strange couple of days holding it in while everyone was asking me if I knew anything!
 
ES: What are you doing between now and the Olympics? How does one prepare to run at the Olympics?

OH: I am currently at an altitude training camp in St. Moritz, Switzerland with my good friend Nick Jensen. I'll stay here until August 5^th and then fly straight to Rio. My race is August 15^th, so I'll have 10 days to adjust to the time difference and the climate.

ES: You're ranked 44th out the 45 runners, but you're also a competitor. What is your goal for the semifinal race? Do you have a place you're shooting for? A time?
 
OH: Like everyone else on that starting line, my goal is to qualify for the finals! It's a tough goal, but I think it's doable!

ES: How did your time at EKU help prepare you for where you are now?
 
OH: EKU provided me with a great setup to focus on my running and at the same time get an education. Furthermore, they always made sure to get me to the races I needed! EKU always made sure I had everything in order to succeed.

ES: What is your favorite memory of EKU?
 

OH: My team and the people at EKU are the greatest memories I have. My team made it feel like home, and to point at one thing or event as the best is impossible. All the miles I've done with every single on of them, the way they pulled me up when I didn't feel like training (everyone has those days), the way they sacrificed their own training to help me. I made great friends and they are people I will try hard never to lose contact with!

ES: What are your plans after your running career is over? Do you plan to use your physics degree from EKU in any way?
 
OH: I am going back to school after the Olympics. My physics degree from EKU gave me access to the master's program I always wanted in Civil Engineering. I will be attending Danish Technical University and getting a degree in Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics.
 
However, my running career is not over, and after the Olympics I will set new goals and there are new things I want to achieve. But, for now, I am trying to enjoy reaching a huge goal before I set a new one!

Hesselbjerg will run in the semifinals of the men's steeplechase on Monday, August 15 at 9:25 a.m. ET.