Many Olympic athletes have trained for their sport their entire lives, honing a single skill set over their lifetime.
Take that experience, multiply it by five and you have a modern pentathlete, who competes in pistol shooting, fencing, swimming, horse riding and running within a 90-minute competition.
In the second birth of her athletic career, the modern pentathlon drove Jessica Davis to master five athletic disciplines at the highest levels of competition.
Davis rode horses growing up, inspired by her mother, a full-time equestrian rider, and father and grandmother, who also rode. After high school, she earned a spot on Central Connecticut State's track and field team, where she holds the school's indoor and outdoor pole vault records.After graduation, Davis wanted to continue an athletic career, but knew she would not make it as a pole vaulter.
She began doing triathlons, following in the footsteps of her father, who was an accomplished triathlete, and enjoying the versatility the three-sport race required.
Then, one day, she met Olympic fencer Suzie Paxton at a house party, who told Davis about "this crazy sport, modern pentathlon" and encouraged Davis to learn fencing. Less than a year after she graduated from Central Connecticut State, she began competing in the modern pentathlon.
"It's funny. It was a slow, slow build until it wasn't. ... It was like, every year, I chip away, get a little bit better," the now 32-year-old said. "Then all of a sudden, it was just I had figured it out … and it became a real possibility that I could actually make the Olympic team."
After competing in six pentathlon world championships, she qualified for her first Olympic Games, accomplishing her biggest goal since beginning the sport.
Heading into Paris competition, Davis reflects on how her collegiate career prepared her for the Olympics.
"Division I track taught me how to work hard and how to show up. ... It taught me time management, how to be there. How to, even if you're not having a good day, make it a good day."
She added, "Pole vault isprobably oneof the most mentally crippling sportsI'veever done. It's really hard. And so, any sport I've done since then feels like a walk in the park."
The modern pentathlon, which takes place at the Château de Versailles from Thursday through Sunday, displays a broad range of athletic skills, mentaldisciplineand a fighting spirit.
"You are truly giving 100% of yourself to five different sports … you have to be five different athletes every single day," Davis said.
"Our athletes are just some of the most incredible athletes. A lot of them … have been at the top of those individual sports. So, the fact they can bring it to five things at a level that some athletes bring to a singular one is amazing."
