U.S. gold medal-winning discus thrower began competing so she could get spaghetti

Olympians: They’re just like us!

From U.S. gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik taking a nap at the arena to Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin trying to figure out how to bite her medal properly, the 2024 Olympic Games have been full of moments relatable to the average non-athlete. But perhaps the most relatable of all is the reason two-time gold medalist Valarie Allman began competing in discus throw:

In high school, the throwers had an annual spaghetti dinner. She wanted to go. So she became a thrower.

Now, more than a decade later, she added another gold medal to the count of the United States. For that, the nation can thank pasta.

Allman attended Silver Creek High School in Longmont, Colorado. According to her Team USA bio, she joined the track and field team as a freshman, jumping and sprinting.

Unfortunately for her, neither of those involved spaghetti. Fortunately for the nation, the throwers told her she could join the dinner if she switched to discus. She did.

After graduating high school, Allman competed for the Stanford track and field team and won the Pac-12 discus championship twice. She has competed in the world championships four times, earning silver and bronze, and won a gold medal in Tokyo. On Monday, she became the first U.S. woman to win back-to-back gold medals in Olympic discus.

All of it started with a hankering for spaghetti.