uring their time on Harvard’s track and field team, Victoria Bossong ’25 and Graham Blanks ’25 filled up the Crimson’s record books with fourteen program records, two national championships, and two then-national records.

Both Bossong and Blanks have signed professional deals to run with New Balance, the footwear company with renowned training facilities located just a couple of miles from Harvard Yard. The former started competing with New Balance this January, while the latter forwent his last season of collegiate eligibility when he went professional in December 2024.

For Blanks, the decision to sign with the Boston-based company was a “no-brainer,” as the Athens, Ga., native had already built a great relationship with the company through an NIL partnership starting his junior year. Plus, according to Blanks, his girlfriend had an affection for the brand’s apparel.

In addition to keeping his footwear sponsor, Blanks also stayed under the tutelage of his collegiate coach. Alex Gibby is Harvard’s track and cross country associate head coach and has been mentoring the Olympian since 2020, when Blanks left high school early to train with the Harvard team in Flagstaff, Ariz. Across their six years of collaboration, the relationship between the runner and coach has been rooted in trust.

“I trust his training, and he trusts my ability to make decisions in races or training that need to be made,” Blanks said.

Blanks also noted the benefit of consistent coaching during the shift from collegiate to professional running.

“Leaving college can be a really big transition, and to keep my coach the same, it’s been a nice constant in my life,” Blanks added.

Bossong has stayed with her main collegiate coach in her professional career as well. Harvard track and field associate head coach Kebba Tolbert — who also trained three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas ’19 during her time in Cambridge — has coached Bossong since she first joined the ranks of the Crimson.

“Coach Tolbert has been with me through so many stages of my development, from my early years at Harvard to some of the biggest moments of my career so far,” Bossong said. “He knows me not only as an athlete, but as a person, and I think that kind of trust and understanding is hard to replace.”

Another benefit of professional athletic life has been the pair’s freedom from academic pressure.

During his time at Harvard, Blanks did not have time to enjoy his extensive book collection because he was busy with both his training and classwork. Now with more time on his hands, he is able to revel in the magnificence of his collection.

“It’s been nice to start knocking all these books out that I own,” Blanks said. “I have this beautiful bookshelf in my apartment that I’m really proud of, and it’s something that I kind of always wanted since freshman year of college. I just wanted to be the guy with an awesome bookshelf and a cool collection of books that I’ve read.”

The former NCAA record holder has learned from his books and also from hands-on experiences. Through running, Blanks formed a friendship with the mayor of Watkinsville, Ga., which enabled him to attend meetings about the city’s urban planning.

Blanks, an economics and philosophy concentrator who wrote his senior thesis on public transit and pedestrian infrastructure, has found such meetings to be fascinating.

“It’s been super cool to learn about these things,” Blanks noted. “Like how much effort it takes to build a single bike lane with a strip of paint, or much more, trying to build a full park.”

For Bossong, the freedom of professional athletics has enabled her to continue her advocacy for women’s sports.

“At Harvard, I was really passionate about making sure women athletes felt supported and had the same opportunities, resources, and recognition,” Bossong explained. “Now, as a professional athlete, I still care deeply about those issues, whether that is through mentorship, visibility, or simply using my voice when I can.”

This dedication to inspiring younger female athletes has helped Bossong connect to her Asian-American heritage, as she has engaged in advocacy work in the Philippines during her offseason.

“Representation is also a big part of [sport] for me, especially as an Asian-American athlete in track. I hope that girls who may not see as many people who look like them in this space can see my journey and know that it is possible not only to belong in this sport, but to be great, successful, and impactful in it.”

Though there are many benefits to being a professional athlete, the heightened pressure to perform at a high level can become all-encompassing.

After his junior year in college, Blanks made his Olympic debut for the United States at the 2024 Paris Summer Games. Amazingly, he never felt nervous due to the lower expectations of him compared to his more established competitors.

However, as Blanks became more of a mainstay in his field, those expectations started to get the best of him. The 24-year-old credits his relatively poor performance in the 5,000 meters at the USA 2025 Outdoor Championships to succumbing to mounting pressure.

“I was kind of nervous and insecure and ended up just having a terrible race in the 5k U.S. Champs because I put too much pressure on myself and considered everybody’s expectations too much,” Blanks lamented. “I think it just got in the way in my head.”

Eventually, Blanks was able to settle his anxiety by embracing the uncertainty of racing.

“I think the thing that’s helped me a lot is that nothing is guaranteed in running,” he remarked. “You know, it’s why you run the race.”

Blanks also found solace on his beloved bookshelf, where reading about outer space has allowed him to gain more perspective and center himself.

“I think it’s cool that I partake in that tradition amongst a million other human traditions on this pale little blue dot, but that my entire universe depends on me succeeding in a race,” Blanks said.

For Bossong, a newfound downside to being a professional athlete is the lack of relays. At Harvard, Bossong competed on several relay teams, including the distance medley, where her team set a new Ivy League record, and the 4x400-meter relay. As a professional, relay opportunities are few and far between, but even though she doesn’t train specifically for them, she isn’t ruling that experience out forever.

“I’ve been part of relays that have set Ivy League records, won numerous [Ivy] Heps titles, earned All-American honors, and even set a national record,” Bossong remarked. “Relays have always been really fun and meaningful to me, so I definitely do miss them.”

“Although the 800 is my main event, I’m still running 400s every now and then, so there could potentially be an opportunity to be part of a 4x400 or mixed relay in the future,” she added.

Bossong has been off to a hot professional start. The middle-distance runner recently debuted for New Balance and has already won a race each in the 500-meter, 600-meter, and 800-meter events. These meets have also provided the former Crimson runner with an opportunity to keep up with her old teammates as she has competed in five of the same meets as the Harvard team this year.

Since becoming a professional, Blanks has traveled around the world to compete. In Europe, he has enjoyed participating in the Diamond League, the premier track circuit. Blanks also visited Tokyo last summer to represent the USA in the World Championships, where he placed 11th in the 10,000-meters.

As the runners continue to train and compete at the national level, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics loom in the background as the ultimate achievement for any track athlete.

“Just like every other professional runner out there, at least at my level, that’s what I’m striving for, is Olympic medal attainment,” Blanks shared.

With recent alumnus Thomas being as successful as she is at the world level, the pair knows that they have a strong reputation to uphold.

“Gabby Thomas, who was on the track team not too long ago, already has [three] gold medals, so I’m pretty far behind right now, but we’ll try to catch up,” Blanks promised.