Jacory Patterson
Jacory Patterson was working in a UPS factory doing nighttime shifts when he became a world champion in 2025. In the latest instalment of Side Track, he talked about going from stacking boxes to taking on the world's best on track.
When you finished at the University of Florida with no sponsorship deal, what did do you?
I just moved back home and honestly I was just going on my faith in myself. I was telling myself I’ll give it another two years and, if it goes good, cool and, if not, I’m going to transition to real life and the real world. Thanks to family and friends, it worked out.
Did you ever give up on the athletics dream?
No, I never felt it was over and I was just hoping it did work out. Track was something that I’d been doing since I was 11 years old and it was something I’d grown to love. I wanted it to work out so I never told myself it might not work or that I was just 50% in…. I was 100% all in. I thought If it ends up I’m not going to run anymore at least be 100% dialled in trying to make it happen as I didn’t want to have regrets.
So you started working for UPS right?
I moved back home and didn’t have a job yet so I got straight online and started looking up jobs. I was applying for many different jobs. At the time, I knew someone working at UPS that kind of opened that window for me a little bit and got me set up which meant I was able to skip the line a little bit. I started in August 2024 and worked there up until June 2025.
What did the role entail?
You’ve got people that put boxes on the belt and those who take them off the belt and onto the trucks. I did that bit. We had this long, big trailers and you’d start all the way in the back up to the front. Depending on the night, we’d fill two to four trucks.
Did lugging the boxes feel like training?
Mum and I would joke that it was the second weights run of the day! That’s how I looked at it - with optimism. Those big boxes and hardware were like a squat rack I worked with.
Did you enjoy the work?
It wasn’t like one those things that felt like a burden - man why do I have to do this? Anything that I go into, I go in with optimism. I kept telling myself this is situation we’ve got to make it work. This is what it is right now.
But it must have been tough balancing the world with training.
My shift would start at 10.30pm and most nights go until 4.30am. During peak season like Thanksgiving to January when orders were crazy you’d finish about 5.30 while the latest I ever finished was 6.50am. It was like a vampire shift! The reason I chose those shifts is that I wanted it to fit around training. I could have done morning shifts but that wouldn’t have worked with training in the morning while a daytime shift would mean going straight to practice so I thought a nighttime shift would work better. After practice, I could go home for a five, six-hour nap and get my recovery and then another two to three hours after the night shift before hitting it hard in training. That worked best for my schedule.
Did people clock you were an athlete?
I tried my best to keep a low profile as I didn’t want people to know I was an athlete. Once they found out, they were really supportive and trying to be helpful but I didn’t want them feeling sorry for me. I met some really cool people there and am still in touch with some today.
Balancing the training and work must have been tough?
I would say at first it was tough - that first month was pretty rough as I’d never done anything like that before. It was pretty rough on my body, recovery wise. But you find your rhythm. I got to know how to stack the trucks, the heavy stuff on the bottom, the lighter on top. It was a bit like Tetris plus I’ve got OCD so I kind of loved being able to wedge boxes in between gaps. I’m not going to lie, it was kind of satisfying.
But by March 2025 you were a world champion in Nanjing and still working at UPS. Why did you stick with it?
I didn’t stop working at UPS until June because I didn’t want to jump the gun. I didn’t want to get excited too early. I was running good but I still didn’t have a deal so I told myself I’d keep stacking boxes until something comes. Sure, conversations and negotiations were happening but until I knew it was set in stone and I was ready to sign my name on my paper that’s when I gave my two-week notice.
Did that year toughen you up as an athlete?
I would say so for sure. Working that was tough even though I tried to have a positive mindset. I kind of used it as fuel. When you're in those situations when the odds are not really in you favour you’ve got to learn to flip the narrative. I got a lot of support from my mum and friends and they kept me grounded.
Are you pleased you went through it all?
I’m so thankful I had this experience. I tell people I wouldn’t change the route I had for anything in the world. It taught me a lot on the track but also about me as a person. It showed me that if I put my mind to whatever I want to do I can do it. Even after I finally signed to Nike I told myself I will never get comfortable, always remember where you started. When I worked at UPS I had a barcode on my phone to scan in when I got in. I still have that on my phone and look at that every day to remind me.
Did you suddenly feel like you’ve got a lot of free time?!
That’s the biggest thing for me. I can get a full night’s rest and I’m able to use different recovery options whether that be a chiropractor, accupuncture, ice bath or sauna, I have time to do all those things now. And as an only child, I’ve always been pretty good in my own company so I don’t mind just chilling out.
Do you think it made you a better athlete?
A lot better. It gave me a chip a little bit and made me hungry. I remember plenty of nights when coach would beast me at practice and, even after a five-hour nap, I was dead tired at night. Remember those things, remember to stay hungry and grounded, and then don’t get a big head if you have the success. And I tell myself don’t get comfortable as there might be someone else out there working night shifts about to come through.
