52.4 seconds. Most of us can respond to an email, put in a work order, or even have a quick conversation in 52.4 seconds. We can start our cars, put our shoes on, brush our hair, or pack our bags in 52.4 seconds. Not even a minute of our lives can mean so little on a day to day basis for us. But for Mamadou Seck, full-time leasing agent at Proximity at 10th in Greenville, NC, 52.4 seconds represents his personal best time and is only a mere 1.5 seconds behind potentially qualifying for the Senegal Olympic and National Track and Field team.

As most might feel before talking to a 23-year-old professional athlete, I was a bit nervous going into our interview. Rest assured, Mamadou put me at ease right from the start. For someone who has the potential to be considered as a world-class athlete, he was humble, kind, and patient in talking about his absolutely amazing coming-of-age story.

Seck started his athletic career as a soccer player, where he fell more in love with running than kicking a ball. Therefore, he decided to join track and field, where he competed in the 400 meter event. While attending the University of Southern Mississippi, Seck recognized although he was good at running the 400 meter, the overall talent at the collegiate level was extremely competitive. Not only did he often find himself not achieving his personal goals, but he also had to deal with consistent injuries.

Once during a practice, as a joke, Seck’s then-coach told him he should give hurdles a try. When he did, he found he was pretty darn great at it. He dedicated the next month training vigorously with his coach to progress his new found talent, and drastically improved his hurdle race time in what the sport considers “an unheard of amount”. Seck had discovered he had a true gift for hurdling.

Seck joined the East Carolina University team after he completed undergrad at USM, and was about to begin his competitive season when the global pandemic caused his season to be cancelled. Seck opted out of his last year of NCAA eligibility, meanwhile deciding with his coaches THAT very moment was the chance to start training as a professional athlete to pursue the Olympics.

So, after feeling extremely inspired by his sports journey, I wanted to ask about his time at The Preiss Company, wondering when his history with us came into play. Seck went to school at ECU for Instructional Technology, and found himself living at a Preiss Company property, Proximity at 10th. As everyone’s favorite time of the summer approached (aka, Turn), he applied for a job at Proximity to help with Turn. Seck was captivated by our company’s culture and the Proximity team, and like most who work on-site, decided to pursue a career in student housing as a full-time leasing agent. His goal is to work his way up in the Preiss Company and eventually become a Property Manager.

At this moment, my IMMEDIATE question was How on EARTH do you simultaneously work as a full-time employee and train for the Olympics? Is there even enough time in the day? I was met with a response that would put all of our daily routines to shame. Seck informed me that he starts his days training on the track from 5:30am-6:30am with his coach — by choice, let me remind you. He goes home, showers, cooks himself breakfast and heads to work at Proximity, where he works a full day from 10am-6pm as a skilled leasing agent. At 6pm, his day does not conclude like many of ours does, as he heads to the gym to work out again with his coach for an hour and a half. I failed to ask how much caffeine he needs to make it through the day, knowing very well that the cup of coffee I drink to help me get through the day couldn’t save me from his daily routine.

However, to be extraordinary you have to practice extraordinarily. He puts this to the test day in and day out. Seck’s dedication to his passion for track is extremely admirable, along with finding stability and time outside the training he participates in. In fact, he even finds time for other hobbies! For instance, Seck finds himself interested in cooking health-conscious recipes, which go hand-in-hand with his lifestyle. He has his own Instagram account dedicated to the recipes he has created, which is listed here (@seckeats). Along with cooking, Seck has a passion for aircraft, and is learning how to fly planes. This explains how he’s traveled to 14 countries and 36 U.S. states! Truly, with such a wide range of interests in hobbies, it’s easy to wonder how Seck ever gets a break. He assured me that he enjoys staying busy, and that he has to actively make time on the weekend to just veg out on the couch. I will say, this sounds a lot different than my weekends!

Mamadou Seck is not only a phenomenal athlete, but a humble companion, a hard-working teammate, and a member of our Preiss Company family. I find it so fascinating and inspiring that he was able to take the cards COVID dealt him, and use them to benefit his career in sports and in student housing. He told me “At the end of the day, look at everything with perspective,” and I for one think that if a future Olympic athlete tells us this, we should all listen and learn. So, make sure to remember his name and cheer him on as he pursues his dreams to become an Olympic athlete. Mamadou will be heading to Algeria aiming to earn a spot on Senegal’s national team that will compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic games.

Good luck to Mamadou in Algeria and hopefully Tokyo!