Summary
The world first metMarion Jonesduring her extraordinary turn at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.
The track-and-field superstar once had the moniker of the fastest woman in the world.
“It’s time for people to kind of hear from me.
Image by Nimesh, FOX
The good, the bad, the ugly,” she said.
It’s Marion Jones!
MARION JONES:Hi, Michael.
Image via FOX
I’m doing so great.
Thank you for having me.
I’m so excited to chat with you.
It is a true honor.
I remember watching you in the Olympics and being like damn!
JONES:Oh Michael, you must have been in kindergarten.
Image via Marion Jones
No, not really!
No, I was probably 13.
Yeah, I was 13.
First off, how’s the family?
JONES:Oh, everybody’s doing great.
What inspired you to share your private life now?
JONES:You have to get to a point.
And sometimes it takes some people longer than others.
They’re old enough to understand life and social media and all those things.
It’s time for people to kind of hear from me.
The good, the bad, the ugly.
Hopefully someone that hears it, Michael, will be inspired and motivated.
So that’s why.
That one time a classic sitcom turned into a classic reality show.
JONES:Well, it’s such a humbling feeling.
And at some point, you realize that you are whom you help.
You are whom you inspire, right?
That is really what I want to be remembered by.
That’s what makes me and everybody that hears my story relatable in that I’ve been knocked down.
I made poor choices and severe consequences, but I made the choice not to stay there.
They don’t know what tomorrow looks like.
For those who might be struggling with their own identities, what is your advice to them?
You don’t have to have this cookie-cutter life.
you might come into your own beautiful self when you are ready.
You don’t need to be pressured when, how, with who.
It is so beautiful.
It is so liberating.
And my hope is that people who are struggling with getting to that point understand that concept, Michael.
That once you are just who you are, it makes so many things clearer in your life.
Why can’t I really take two steps forward?"
I really think a big piece of the puzzle is just saying, ‘You know what?
This is who I am."
Whoever, whatever that is, right?
“This is who I love.”
Whoever and whatever that is.
Take that, what you think is a hard initial step, and then it becomes so freeing.
The trailer is intense.
What inspired you to join season three?
Why was this the right show at the right time?
JONES:Oh, well, it was 2023.
It’s been over a decade since I’ve really taken on a physical challenge.
At least in my case, I did.
You get knocked down; you don’t have to stay there.
A certain amount of understanding that doing uncomfortable things, you’ll still be okay.
And it’s also a show, right?
There’s not going to be, hopefully, any death or major, major injuries.
But I think my ability to see past the immediate uncomfortable situation.
So some of the things that were presented to us in terms of the physical were hard.
So there’s nothing that I could have done to really prepare me for that.
The cast is filled with incredible athletes, actors, and reality stars.
Was there anyone you were eager to meet and compete alongside?
JONES: Well, prior to the show, we didn’t know who else was participating.
So they saved that information until the first day.
So to answer your question, I didn’t know what I was stepping into.
We definitely created some bonds that I think are lifelong.
All right, if you could tease the season by giving us three words, what would they be?
JONES:Unforgettable and unrelenting.
Oh, I love that.
Are there any other reality TV shows you’re a fan of that you get to watch?
JONES:Well, I’m a fan of all of the like survival-jot down shows.
I am not interested in being naked and surviving, though, I’ll tell you that!
They don’t need to come calling.
But I love anything that just pushes you to your limit, right?
Where did that competitive drive come from?
JONES:A lot of it, to be honest, was genetics, of course.
I have a rock star mother, right?
But she doesn’t.
I saw that every single day, and I applied that to sport, right?
I benefited from that.
In May 2025 you will be partaking in the Honolulu Triathlon.
How has training been going?
So, understand Michael, and folks hearing this, I am a born sprinter.
I go fast from here to there.
That’s what I was known for.
So, to take on this physical challenge whereby the focus is endurance.
The focus is lasting longer.Can you run longer?
Let’s hop in the pool."
That bang out of stuff.
So it has been humbling to now be almost 50 years old.
I’ll be 50 in 2025, and now trying something new.
Of course, the discipline is a bonus.
The fact that I understand sacrifice.
And again, very, very humbling.
I needed this for myself, Michael, but I also know that people relate to other people.
By seeing their their struggle, right?
JONES:I find it a wonderful like solitary journey.
You figure out who you are very, very quickly.
JONES:I can see where they’re like, “You know what?
This is not for me.”
Or you have some that absolutely crush it.
And I want to say that I’ll probably be in the latter category there.
Jeff Probst is the definition of outwit, outplay, and outlast.
You mentioned swim cap.
They partnered with the 2024 Olympics this year.
Did you get to watch any?
JONES:Oh, of course, of course.
I’m a fan of sport.
I watch it on television.
It’s a part of who we are.
Was there any stories that really touched you from the Paris Olympics this year?
You have to have been living under a rock not to have been cheering forSimone Biles.
I have a soft heart in that people underestimate the pressure that athletes endure.
I don’t care if the Olympic Committee doesn’t like it.
This is what I need to do for me.’
Well, I just need to say you are a story of never giving up.
And I love that your Instagram says"Still running.
“And I think that’s just incredible.
And it has been an honor chatting with you.
Thank you so much for taking time with me.
JONES:Thank you, Michael.
Happy holidays to you.
Special Forces: World’s Toughest TestSeason 3 premieres on January 8 at 8:00pm on Fox.
All episodes are available to stream on Hulu.
