Olympian Quanesha Burks is a small-town girl who never forgot where she came from. Burks, who just secured a spot on Team USA ’s track and field squad after placing third in the long jump event at the Olympic trials, recounted her journey from working at McDonald’s to now heading to Tokyo. “When I worked at McDonald’s, I thought it was the best job ever,” the Alabama native told Sports Illustrated. “I was making $100 every two weeks. It’s terrible, but I came to work every day happy and I knew it was all part of my goal to go to college.” McDonald’s was the first meal Burks decided to eat after she landed the 6.96 meter jump which qualified her for the Olympics. “I just ate it with so much gratitude in my mouth,” Burks shared. Though the 26-year-old is now preparing to compete at the Summer Games, her hard work and determination is what carried her to this moment. When Burks was in high school, she began her mornings at 4:30 a.m., dropping her grandmother off to work at a local...
