KNOXVILLE — There was little tangible reason to think Signal Mountain resident Phoebe Wright would become one of the most successful student-athletes in University of Tennessee history.
Wright was a solid runner at Red Bank High School, but far from a spectacular one. She finished sixth in the state meet at 800 meters as a sophomore, then fourth as a junior and fifth as a senior. Her personal best was 2 minutes, 15.95 seconds — several seconds slower than UT generally prefers.
Yet four years, eight All-America awards and multiple national championships later, Wright seems to be no surprise to anyone in the UT track and field program.
She surely isn’t shocked. Beneath the demeanor and soft voice of an elementary school art teacher lies the talent and drive of a world-class athlete.
“Do you want the honest answer? Or do you want the humble answer?” Wright said when asked about her expectations four years ago. “In high school, I knew I was really good and just hadn’t reached my potential. I don’t know why I had that belief in myself. I had no proof, really, but I’ve just always believed in myself.