Tylyia “Ty” Triggs: One Hurdle at a Time
July 24, 2025
Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations
RALEIGH – When Tylyia “Ty” Triggs of Wake County lines up at the starting blocks, whether on the track or in life, she’s no stranger to hurdles. A fifth-year senior at the University of Mount Olive (UMO), Triggs has faced more than her share of setbacks, but she’s never let them define her. Instead, she’s turned each challenge into fuel for her journey academically, athletically, and personally.
Approaching graduation with a double major in exercise science and sport management, Triggs is channeling those experiences into something bigger than herself: a youth fitness program called JUMPstart, designed to educate and inspire the next generation through movement and preventative care. From the classroom to the clinic and into Raleigh’s summer camps, her story is one of determination, faith, and a heartfelt commitment to helping others discover their own strength, just as she discovered hers.
A standout athlete on UMO’s Track and Field team, Triggs also briefly cheered and participated in campus organizations including the Peer Health Educators, Exercise Science Club, and UMO’s Choir and Show Choir. But her path took an unexpected turn during her fourth year when a season-ending injury sidelined her, and life threw in even more obstacles.
“In one semester, my parents got divorced, my dad went to prison, and I found out I wouldn’t be able to compete for 15 months,” she recalled. “My grades dropped, and I felt completely lost.”
The challenges were overwhelming, but Triggs leaned into what remained constant, her faith. “God reminded me I’m not defined by my success,” she said. “My coaches became like fathers to me. They held me accountable, gave me a place on the team through assistant coaching, and helped me find joy again.”
She also decided to expand her academic focus, adding a second major in Sport Management and earning minors in Coaching and Sports Psychology. “Delayed but never denied,” became the motto she lived by.
That same mindset now fuels JUMPstart, her original youth wellness initiative launched during her internship with Duke Health in Cary. Drawing from her experiences working at Raleigh summer camps and her passion for youth mentorship, Triggs designed the program to reach teens ages 11 to 14. She credits much of that inspiration to her mother’s role as a youth pastor, which helped shape her desire to guide and uplift young people.
The program, JUMPstart: Journey to Understanding Movement & Prevention, combines physical games with educational components, teaching the importance of bone and muscle strength, balance, weight management, and disease prevention. “We turn exercise into fun and relatable activities,” Triggs explained. “It’s about getting teens moving and making it something they enjoy.”
Although scheduling time with collaborating professionals has been a challenge, Triggs has taken initiative by gathering advice from physical therapists on how to design engaging, competitive programming. One of those professionals, Physical Therapist Zach Boyd, PT, DPT, SCS, praised her initiative and professionalism. “As an intern, Tylyia takes ownership of what she’s doing and really makes an effort to learn. She’s been the first full-time intern we’ve had here who isn’t from a PT program, and she’s set the bar high. Her curiosity, energy, and work ethic have made a great impression. She is also the best note-taker I have ever seen.”
Triggs’ coursework at UMO has been instrumental. “There hasn’t been a single Sport Management class that didn’t add something to my portfolio,” she said. She credits Dr. Tony Franklin for creating practical learning opportunities and highlights courses in strength and conditioning, exercise physiology, anatomy, and kinesiology as vital to her success in both clinical and community settings.
Triggs also expresses deep gratitude to those who mentored her: advisors Dr. Mark Deaton and Dr. Tony Franklin, professors Jaime Higginbotham and Sharon Jackson, and coaches Earl Graves, Clive Macdonald, Justin Potter, Daniel Barrow, and Sean White. “They each believed in me, challenged me, and made me better.”
Looking ahead, Triggs is set to graduate in August 2025 and has already secured her next steps. She’ll begin a master’s program in sports management at Tusculum University this fall, where she will also serve as a graduate assistant coach for the cross-country and track teams. She ultimately aspires to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy.
As for JUMPstart, Triggs hopes this is just the beginning. “I’ll be traveling to different camp sites this summer to run the program and make any needed adjustments,” she said. “I would love for this to be the JUMPstart to many more I will do.”
For fellow UMO students preparing for internships or leadership opportunities, Triggs offers simple but powerful advice: “Put yourself out there. Doors can’t open unless you knock. And some won’t open, and that’s okay. That just means it wasn’t your door. Keep knocking.”
Tylyia Triggs has cleared her share of hurdles. And with each step forward, she’s helping others learn how to run their own race, one hurdle at a time.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University was founded by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
