Angela Murdock: The Starter by Kiratiana Freelon
Angela Murdock has four world records… under her gun. As a starter official in track and field, she is the person who says, “Ready, Set” and shoots the gun at the beginning of sprint races.
IF YOU EVER JUMP OUT THE AIRPLANE AND YOU ARE NOT AFRAID THEN BE VERY AFRAID. I WAS AN AIRBORNE IN THE MILITARY. EVERY TIME YOU DID JUMPS YOU WERE ALWAYS AFRAID BECAUSE IF YOU WEREN’T THEY SAID IT WAS YOUR LAST JUMP.
I STILL GET NERVOUS AT MEETS, ESPECIALLY BIG MEETS.IT’S ON YOUR MARK. SET. AND THEN THE GUN.
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AT A MAJOR MEET WAS IN ALBERQUERQUE NEW MEXICO. I WAS WORKING THE INDOOR NATIONALS.
AND I WAS PUT TO DO THE VERY FIRST RACE. SCAREY.
IT’S ALOT OF PRESSURE BECAUSE YOU CONTROL THE RACE.
YOU DON’T REALLY GET COMPENSATION. SOME MEETS YOU DON’T GET ANYTHING. I WORK SO HARD FOR VERY LITTLE BECAUSE I LOVE THE SPORT.
IT JUST LIKE GUYS LIKE BASKETBALL. GUYS LIKE FOOTBALL. I LOVE TRACK AND FIELD.
I FOLLOW IT. I FOLLOW THE KIDS. I FOLLOW THE COLLEGE. I FOLLOW THE HIGH SCHOOL. I FOLLOW THE PROS.
I DON’T KNOW WHERE I GET THE STRENGTH FROM AND I JUST GET UP AND GO. SOMETIMES I’M JUST TIRED. I JUST KEEP TELLING MYSELF THAT WE GOTTA GO. WE GOTTA GO GOTTA GO.
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She calls herself a track head – someone whose life revolves around track and field. She’s been one since the age of 5, when she started running in potato sack races at her catholic elementary school. As a teenager, she helped her Bishop Loughlin School win several New York city championships. Her track and field exploits helped her to receive a scholarship to attend Mount Mary College.
After college she found a way to remain involved in track and field—through her daughters. She was a track mom always shuttling her daughters back and forth to meets. She did what track moms always do—set up hurdles, time athletes and officiate track and field events. One responsibility led to another and she discovered that she had a knack for being a starter official.
Today Angela spends 30 to 40 hours at the Armory track in New York City during the indoor season. She has six guns and four world records underneath them. She’s started national elite and college races. But being a starter official isn’t her main gig. She works at a Vice President of Accounting for a hospital during the week, and takes care of her large family of five girls and a husband. Sometimes she gets tired but she always finds the strength to do what she has to do.
