When Amy Wall left her hometown of Southampton, England, to attend Troy University, she carried with her a story of perseverance, resilience, and an unshakable belief that hard work can rewrite destiny. 

Wall’s journey to collegiate athletics began years earlier, not in a stadium, but in a Year 4 classroom. Her physical education teacher saw something in her that she didn’t yet see in herself. 

“He wanted me to take part in a cross-country race and I said, ‘No way am I running through fields,’” Wall recalled, laughing at the memory. “He told me to put my hand up, so I decided to join the team.” 

That reluctant decision marked the start of a passion that would change her life. She soon discovered a natural ability for athletics and began competing in track and field events across the United Kingdom. More importantly, her teacher’s encouragement helped her find confidence and inspired her to become an educator herself. 

“I didn’t have much confidence when I was younger, but he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Wall said. “He used sports to bring me out of my shell and make me believe I could do hard things. That’s why I want to teach—to give that same feeling to someone else who needs it.” 

But just as her athletic career was gaining momentum, tragedy struck. During a national competition in 2020, Wall suffered a devastating leg injury on the same day she achieved the best high jump mark in the United Kingdom for a 15-year-old girl. 

“They told me I wasn’t going to jump again,” Wall remembered. “The doctor said I was done just one day after surgery. I remember thinking, ‘You don’t get to decide that for me.’ So I asked, ‘Well, can I not just jump off the other leg?’ And that’s exactly what I did.” 

That question became her motivation. Over the next two years, she endured multiple surgeries and long months of rehabilitation, teaching herself to jump using the opposite leg. Her determination paid off. Today, Wall competes for TROY’s track and field team as a high jumper. 

“When I got to TROY, everything just felt right,” she said. “It’s smaller and more personal. The teachers know your name. You’re not just a face in a big lecture hall.” 

Her parents, Darren and Donna, said the sense of community at TROY immediately stood out. 

“When we came out and looked at TROY, I think we’d been here a day and a half and Amy said, ‘I absolutely love it,’” Darren said. “If you don’t like it here, I don’t know where you’d like it. It’s such a beautiful campus.” 

For Wall, living and training alongside her teammates has made the transition across the Atlantic easier. “Living with them helps because you’re all in the same boat,” she said. “You practice together, travel together, eat together—it’s like a built-in family.” 

Her days are long, often beginning before sunrise with practice at 6 a.m., followed by classes, then another training session in the evening. Still, she said her coaches and professors make sure academics come first. “If I have a placement that conflicts with practice, they work around it,” she said. “They prioritize your GPA. That’s not something you get everywhere.” 

For her parents, seeing their daughter thrive so far from home has made the distance worthwhile. “When you see her so happy, that makes you feel a little bit better even though you’re missing her terribly,” Donna said. “We’ve seen such a difference this year. She’s more confident and settled.” 

Donna said the first time she visited campus, she felt the same sense of belonging her daughter described. “I only saw pictures before we came, but I knew straight away it was like home away from home,” she said. “It’s very similar to Amy’s college back home. When we came out, we just knew.” 

Wall said she originally planned to stay until Christmas before deciding whether TROY was the right fit. “I definitely had the attitude of, I’ll give it to Christmas. If I didn’t like it, I’d just come home,” she said. “But now, I couldn’t really see myself anywhere else.” 

Today, the former reluctant runner from Southampton has become an NCAA Division I student-athlete, a future educator, and an example of perseverance for others. Her journey, defined by resilience, faith, and the quiet power of support, has led her to a university that feels like home. 

“I think about it all the time,” Wall said. “My friends back home are doing normal things—school, work—but I’m out here studying in another country, competing, and growing every day. It’s been the best decision I ever made.”