‘Coach Jojo’ ranked eighth in the world
By Chris Edwards
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IBIZA, SPAIN – On Sunday, Amanda Jordan, a Fred resident who is widely known and beloved as a coach and teacher at Warren ISD, sealed the deal on what folks back home have already known for years: that the spunky young woman is one of the world’s greatest athletes.
Jordan competed in a duathlon event in the World Championships, which was held last weekend in Ibiza, Spain. Her event was a run-cycle-run competition, in which she ran a 10K, biked a 40K race and then ran a 5K. The end result was a second-place finish for Team USA in her class, and an eighth, overall, in the world.
Jordan’s success has qualified her for a spot in next year’s World Championships, which will take place in Townsend, Australia, and success in those games could place another feather in her cap: qualification for the Olympic games, which will be held in August 2024 in Paris.
Before she travelled to Spain, a surprise pep rally took place at the Warren Junior High gymnasium, in which family, friends and colleagues packed the venue, and some took turns speaking about Jordan’s inspiring nature and her grit and determination.
Her success in the World Championships is all the more impressive given a health struggle she has been dealing with. “That 10K time I ran was the second fastest in the world in my division,” she said. “Not bad, especially with a tumor on my artery.”
Jordan said the issue has caused her difficulty in walking for the past seven weeks, yet she said she was able to travel “out here and [do] the dang thing, and my artery didn’t rupture. Praise God!”
Last year, Jordan was clocked as the second fastest runner in the nation, when she qualified for her performance in the World Championships.
“God sure has blessed me with strength to overcome so much pain and so many obstacles,” she said. “I am beyond excited!”
Jordan added that she wanted to thank everyone back home for all of the “amazing support.” “I appreciate you all so much,” she said.
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