UNI’s Erin Kerkhoff ready for another Paralympic run

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa sprinter Erin Kerkhoff is headed to Paris in July.

The Solon native was named to the 2023 U.S. Paralympic national track and field team last month after first-place finishes in the T13 classification 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes at the U.S. Paralympic National Championships in California.

T13 includes athletes with the least severe vision impairment to be eligible for para athletics. Kerkhoff is legally blind, due to a genetic mutation, though she can make out shapes and read enlarged type.

“I flew out to San Diego right after the (Missouri Valley Conference championships) and so I didn’t know exactly how it was going to go just because I knew I had competed the weekend before at a pretty big meet, obviously, but I was really happy with the outcome,” Kerkhoff said. “I definitely want my times to get further down (though).

“I know I can run faster.”

Kerkhoff’s journey to the 2024 Paralympics — which also will take place in Paris — is much different from the one she had back in 2021 to the Paralympics in Tokyo.

Those Paralympics were delayed a year due to the pandemic and the World Para Athletic Championships were canceled.

This time Kerkhoff will have to qualify for the Paralympics at the World Championships next month, July 8-17.

“I just realized the other day that this is a qualifying meet for the Paralympics, so that’s super exciting, but also comes with a little bit of extra pressure,” Kerkhoff said. “My goal is to medal in the 200 and 400. I think I have a pretty good chance and I would really love to do that.

“I think that would really help me qualify for the Paralympics in 2024.”

Another big difference with this journey of Kerkhoff’s will be the ability to explore Paris — unlike Tokyo in 2021 — when athletes were only allowed outside their hotel rooms to compete due to the pandemic.

“I’m excited to experience the country this time around and hopefully get to see a little bit of the culture,” Kerkhoff said. “I am going to try and learn a few phrases in French so I can at least maybe order something at a restaurant. So that’s also on my to-do list.”

Most importantly, when it comes to comparing and contrasting the 2020 Paralympics with 2024’s Games, Kerkhoff feels she stands to benefit from the knowledge gained of how things work logistically and how she’s been able to improve herself as an athlete.

“I think I’m definitely more prepared this time around,” Kerkhoff said. “We have to be in the call room an hour before our race and that’s usually when I start warming up. So, taking that into consideration and planning out my strategy for that with my coach is a huge advantage I’ll have this time around.”

She’s also gotten better.

“I have a lot more confidence in my abilities,” she said. “I’ve changed my nutrition and my diet. I even changed the weight lifting program. I’ve improved a lot since Tokyo.”

More than anything, though, she can’t wait to compete again with USA across her chest.

“It was like no other feeling,” Kerkhoff said. “It was really amazing and I was honestly just so honored. I’m excited to do it again here in a couple weeks when I fly out to Paris.”