Parker Valby’s road to the Olympics began on the East Lake track

From the moment Parker Valby entered high school, she had it all figured out.

She would play varsity lacrosse for four years and then attend the University of Florida on a lacrosse scholarship.

She ended up being right about one of the two.

After graduating from East Lake High School in 2020, Parker went on to attend UF. However, over the course of her high school career, she had morphed into a track star rather than a lacrosse standout.

“Honestly, I begged,” said East Lake Track and Field Coach Britt Taylor about convincing Parker to run. “And when she told me no several times, I reached out to her parents and begged them too.”

Parker eventually gave in and began running cross country her freshman year, but running track would mean giving up lacrosse. An injury her sophomore year made that decision for her.

“I gave it a try and found success really quickly and really easily,” Parker said. "And it just grew from there.”

Growth, as it pertains to Parker’s career, might be a bit of an understatement. During her four years at UF, Parker became a six-time NCAA track and field champion and a two-time cross-country champion, setting multiple collegiate records in the 5000m and 10000m races. Parker competed at the Olympic trials in June 2023 and qualified to run the 10,000 meters at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she finished 11^th.

In October 2024, Parker officially turned professional and began running for New Balance Boston.

“My whole life, I’ve always been active and always loved the feeling of running,” Parker said. “If you know, you know. It’s a special feeling.”

Parker thinks back fondly on her early days of running at East Lake. Not only is the East Lake track where her love for the sport grew, but she also remembers just running for fun, “without any pressure whatsoever.”

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without this community,” Parker said of East Lake. “It helped shape me into the woman I am today.”

As a way to give back, Parker now hosts the Parker Valby Holiday Mile each December on the East Lake track.

For the second year in a row, fans and fellow runners have traveled from across the country to line up outside the gymnasium prior to the event’s meet and greet. This year, the first 100 attendees received a new pair of New Balance tennis shoes.

But it was the chance for an autograph and a couple seconds of banter with the cheerful and candid Olympian that drew the bigger crowd.

“I feel so inspired by all of her accomplishments and achievements,” said Avery Chatman, a junior at East Lake who competes in the 800m and 400m hurdles. “How she can come from here and then go out and do great things really inspires me.”  

Avery and several of her track teammates ran the holiday mile. And while it was just for fun and charity, Coach Taylor was right there cheering them on.

“He’s come to probably every single major meet I’ve competed in since I graduated,” Parker says of Taylor’s support. “He flew to Paris for a day. He’s supported me from the very start.”

One of Parker’s most recent accolades: winning the Bowerman trophy, which is awarded to the best student-athlete in American collegiate track and field, in December.

“It was HEAVY!” Parker said of the 37-pound trophy. “It’s definitely a testament to all the work I’ve put in over the years.”

She also made her professional debut on Feb. 3 at the 2025 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. She ran a personal best 3,000 meters in 8:34, finishing third.  

“The greater goal is to continue to get better every year and focus on winning medals at those world championships and ultimately win a medal in LA,” Parker said of her future Olympic aspirations. “I’m going to run for as long as I possibly can.”