Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayley Manners
Hi Hayley, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Hayley Manners, and I’m a current track and field athlete and MBA candidate at the University of Central Florida. I’m originally from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but after undergrad, I moved down to Orlando to pursue better opportunities in both athletics and academics! I’m a proud member of the UCF women’s track and field team, where I contribute to the program as a long jumper. I am also a member of the Devos sports business program at UCF, where I’m working towards both an MBA and a master’s of sports business management.
Some of my accomplishments to date that I’m proud of are graduating from Central Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and nutrition studies, winning a Mid-American conference title in the long jump in 2022, and winning a Canadian national long jump title in 2023.
About a year ago, I suffered a major injury for the first time in sport, rupturing my Achilles tendon during an inter-squad meet. This prevented me from competing for UCF throughout the entirety of last season. As you can imagine, there were several physical and mental challenges with this process. During this recovery time, I’ve had the chance to explore my interests outside of sport, and really set a foundation for my career beyond athletics. Although I still have goals to compete for the Canadian national team on the world stage, I also feel confident in my ability to have a long, successful career once my time comes to hang up the spikes.
I began building my personal brand and sharing my story on social media back in January 2024. It’s been almost a year now, and I have over 20,000 followers across all of my social media platforms. I’ve connected with hundreds of people by sharing my journey with injury as a collegiate athlete, and it’s been really rewarding. I’ve guest starred in podcasts, written articles about my journey, and I also joined an organization called the Hidden Opponent, which is a nonprofit organization that aims to de-stigmatize mental health conversations for athletes.
What’s next – getting healthy ahead of the upcoming NCAA track season starting in January 2025, graduating from the Devos program with two master’s degrees, and continuing to connect with others via social media!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There were tons of struggles, both mentally and physically! After I had surgery for the first time in December 2023, I was in a cast for two weeks where I got around on a scooter or crutches. I then had to re-learn how to walk – first in a boot, and then on my own two feet. I lost a ton of strength in my left leg, forcing me to put in extra work so that I could build all of my strength back. Mentally, there were times where I was over-thinking the return to sport process, if it was really worth it, and if I could do it. As a very confident, bubbly, and optimistic person, this was foreign territory to me as I’d never experienced so much self-doubt.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a student-athlete, sports business professional, and a creative. On the student-athlete side, I specialize in the long jump (and sometimes the triple jump). My lifetime personal record (PR) in the long jump is 6.28m (20 ft, 6 inches) and counting. As an athlete, I would say I’m best known for my accomplishments on the track, and how I’ve shared my story on social media as a creative. I’m very proud of how I’ve built my Instagram platform over the last year, posting creative Reels and posts that resonate with my audience. I’ve also started a YouTube channel, where I feel I am my most creative self – posting vlog-style videos, educational and story-time content about my life. As well, I am weeks away from graduating with two master’s degrees, and I intend to begin my career the sports business industry. I’ve worked for a variety of different leagues/teams/events with the Orlando Valkyries, Orlando City Soccer, ESPN Wide World of Sports, Navigate Consulting, and more.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario I was always a very hyper, athletic child. I did every sport you can think of from soccer, to gymnastics, to basketball, flag football, before landing on track and field. Although I’ve always been a good student and loved the classroom, playing every sport possible meant missing the most amount of school! I am the oldest of three siblings, I have two younger sisters named Hannah and Maya. They are both also very athletic in their respective sports – volleyball and basketball. My parents were both athletes – my mom played volleyball and did cheerleading, while my dad played basketball and volleyball in college, and went on to coach college basketball. Outside of sports, I’ve always loved music, shopping, and spending time with friends and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hayleymanners.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayley.manners/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkLJ3OoI6DncbvQLGr6fj6A
- Other: https://www.snapchat.com/add/haymanners
