Dalilah Muhammad traveled from the world stage of the Olympics to the stage of her former high school auditorium as more than 600 staff and students welcomed the Olympic gold medalist and her track-and-field teammate Deajah Stevens home to Cardozo HS in Bayside, Queens. Muhammad and Stevens were honored on Sept. 13 for their accomplishments at this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, where Muhammad, who graduated in 2007, was the first American woman to win the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles. Stevens placed seventh in the 200-meter final during the Olympic Trials. “It’s overwhelming. As a teacher, it makes your life worth living when a student accomplishes something like this,” said Carolyn DeVore, a retired dance teacher and dean, who returned to Cardozo HS to greet Muhammad, her former student. In the packed auditorium, Muhammad explained her devastation when she didn’t make the U.S. Olympic team in 2012 and then suffered injuries in 2015. Stevens, a three-time high school state champion and 2013 graduate, faced similar setbacks and injuries. “There are many times that I wanted to quit,” said Muhammad. “My motivation was my mother. I wanted this so much for her,” she said. Her mother, Nadirah Muhammad, extolled her discipline. “She really had to overcome a lot of hurdles, but once she became focused to do what she had to do, I knew she would,” she said. Muhammad and Stevens credited their success to the support they received from family, teachers and coaches at Cardozo, including former Olympian Gail Emmanuel, the school’s track-and-field coach. “It’s a wonderful lesson for all of us,” said athletic director Joe Cavallo. “No one knows what’s in store,” but you at least have to try, to say, ‘I’m not sure what the end is going to be, but I have to at least go for the journey.’” Although the Olympians weren’t classmates at Cardozo, they will be forever bonded in the school’s Hall of Fame. Muhammad was inducted in June 2016. Stevens will be inducted next year. “Within this school there is a commitment to understanding the entire student, not just the kid in the class but the kid beyond the class,” said Cardozo HS Chapter Leader Dino Sferrazza. “It pays off for us.”

— Ebony Martin