Malik Paul’s journey to the NCAA Out of doors Observe & Area Championships is just one of hardship, sacrifice, perseverance, religion, and a mother’s adore. The South Carolina graduate university student is headed to Eugene, Ore., following 7 days for the first time after qualifying at the NCAA Regional last 7 days. Not negative for a previous walk-on who struggled to come across adequate to consume a pair of several years previously.
“My mother (Bernadette) is my rock,” Paul claimed. “She is a single mom. She performs at Walmart. She experienced to elevate three boys by herself. My two more mature brothers are 13 and 11 decades more mature than me, so they obtained out of the home a minimal bit early. Then it just became me and her. It was not effortless. She pushed me to transfer here.
“I came listed here with no money. That was a problem. I didn’t have a meal approach possibly, so my mother and I had been skimping alongside, just making an attempt to make ends fulfill, accomplishing whichever I could to at minimum test to get a meal in sometime.”
Paul graduated from West Ashley Higher Faculty in Charleston exactly where he competed in soccer and keep track of. He started off throwing the discus as a junior and originally obtained into monitor and area as a way to stay in condition for football. It turned out to be a strong alternative as he gained a area championship in his occasion.
“I in the beginning begun carrying out higher jumps and hurdles, and I type of stunk,” Paul mentioned with a giggle. “So, then they reported, get the disc and toss it. Which is how it all began.
“It really is the component of competing with your self that I like. As soon as you step within the ring, nothing at all else actually matters apart from for what you do. There are no outside the house forces. There is nothing at all that can consider to quit you other than you. It is really all on what you do.”
Paul begun his collegiate career at USC Beaufort wherever he two times capable for the NAIA Championships and was the Sun Conference’s area MVP in 2018.
“My authentic prepare was to go to USC Beaufort for two years and then transfer out,” Paul mentioned. “My freshman calendar year, all I could throw was maybe 140 feet with the higher education discus, and then out of nowhere, I threw 160. That was a large mark, so I begun considering I could do this very well.”

“You really don’t have to go by way of anything by oneself. There is always anyone that you can communicate to.”

Although he did take pleasure in a partial scholarship at USC Beaufort, Paul felt like he desired and desired extra, so he determined to transfer.
“My old mate (and large school teammate), Darrell Singleton (2017-2020) went listed here, and I begun hitting him up because I begun looking at the throws room that they had right here, and I observed what (Josh) Awotunde (2014-2018) was doing, and I noticed what (graduate college student teammate) Eric (Favors) was undertaking.”
Paul transferred to South Carolina just after two yrs and joined the Gamecocks as a walk-on. He skilled for the NCAA Outside Regional in his to start with season with the Gamecocks in 2019, but lifetime was not simple.
“I knew it was likely to be tough to depart someplace that I was receiving (scholarship) cash and go someplace without any money and test to make finishes satisfy and getting (Bernadette’s) assistance pay with my rent and all the things,” Paul said. “She did not want me to acquire a work. She desired me to emphasis on monitor, and she stated she would help do as much as she could to offer for me and make positive I would one day be in a position to get on scholarship.
“It was surely more difficult acquiring into competitions since there have been so lots of people today who were being really improved than me. I was a major fish coming out of a tiny pond. That was the rough section about it.”


His mom ongoing to encourage him by the challenging periods. Finally the really hard do the job and sacrifices began to spend off.
“I finished up obtaining a total scholarship for my fourth semester listed here in the spring of 2020,” Paul said. “To be truthful, that was just before I had really done nearly anything to be capable to receive a scholarship like that.”
Paul enhanced greatly and for the duration of the 2020 indoor year, he received his function in a few fulfills and finished fourth at the SEC Indoor Championships in the Body weight Toss. Following seeing the out of doors year canceled very last year owing to the pandemic, he suffered a setback with a concussion last drop that influenced him bodily and mentally in the course of the indoor season this 12 months.
“It truly is been my mother’s prayers, and I’ve been speaking to a therapist, as well,” Paul reported of his restoration and is an advocate for trying to find skilled help for mental wellness. “I have a mentor that I discuss to, way too. Just not being alone and talking to individuals, it can help to not put oneself in the corner.
“If you are of religion, talk to God, and also chat to another person else, much too. I believe that that God place folks in your lifestyle for a cause. You happen to be not intended to go through nearly anything by oneself. You really don’t have to go by way of just about anything by on your own. There is constantly another person that you can converse to.”
He ongoing to get the job done really hard, and he was when once more rewarded by qualifying for the NCAA Out of doors Regional in Jacksonville, Fla., wherever he punched his ticket to nationals past week.
“The initial issue that went by way of my head was that it lastly happened! My mother is a massive believer in Christ and a large believer in God. She would notify me on several times that God has told her that Malik has a victory, and that he is heading to win. We’ve equally been via a whole lot in the previous pair of decades.
“Just to realize that and have her there,” Paul continued and then paused to think about his mother. “She acquired off of perform at around 4 o’clock in the early morning, and she and a couple of pals drove five several hours just to appear and see me. That produced it all the more unique that she made that huge sacrifice, and I was ready to do it.”
As he prepares for nationals, Paul is not going to just be happy to be there, as he will not be thinking only about himself on the major phase.
“I often imagine about her,” Paul explained. “Sometimes when I get offended and I get discouraged and it feels like I’m not performing perfectly, then I imagine about her. I assume about what she has performed for me, and I feel about all the sacrifices that she built for me to be capable to do this and that fires me appropriate back up. That is a single of the foremost inspirations to convey me to this level.
“I am likely to make it a fantastic experience simply because the initially battle was making it. Now, I am heading out there to earn.”
The NCAA Out of doors Championships will be held June 9-12.

More Stories
Book Review: Leading Matters-Lessons From My Journey by John Hennessy
5 Rules of the Road on the Journey to Being a Cool Christian
A Journey of Detours