Chloe Abbott was an All-American sprinter at UK but was also a theater major with a minor in vocal performance. (UK Athletics Photo)
Former University of Kentucky track all-American Chloe Abbott is one of the contestants on NBC-TV’s “The Voice” this season and her audition should air tonight or Tuesday.
She’s always been interested in a career acting or singing but is still a professional athlete focused on making the 2024 U.S. Olympic team and will not back off the training it will take to make it.
Her ultimate goal remains to break 49 seconds in the 400 dash. She thinks “overlapping” World Championship and Olympic years will help her.
“I have a great coach, a great training group, a great sponsor. There’s no reason for me not to give it a full shot to make my dream come true,” she said.
Eleven-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix’s husband, Kenneth Ferguson, is from the Detroit area like Abbott. She told him after her rookie professional season that she was “struggling” and might need to change coaches.
“It was nothing against coach Greene at UK. We parted on great terms,” Abbott said. “Allyson’s husband asked me if I needed help finding a coach. I balled out crying telling him I needed help and I would work with Bobby (Kersee) or anybody that would take me. The next day Kenneth called me and asked if I was serious about track and if I was then call Bobby in the next 30 minutes.”
Kersee has trained numerous Olympic and world champions, including former UK standout Sydney McLaughlin.
“Talking to Bobby was extremely intimidating. He said he would be back in touch and we talked the next day, kept talking and finally met up in Florida (where she was living). There was really no reason for him to take me on. I had been second at nationals but I didn’t have world records or Olympic medals. But he took me,” Abbott said. “It was just divine intervention.”
