2025 Hall of Fame Profile: Natasha Hastings
The transition from being a star athlete to some other kind of work isn’t always easy. Fortunately for former South Carolina All-American sprinter Natasha Hastings (2005-2007), she had a plan in place before her career ended. Hastings is one of six members of the 2025 class for the University of South Carolina Association of Lettermen’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
“I’m a clinical mental health provider. I only decided I wanted to do this in 2020 and wanted to work with athletes and stay in a high-performer competitive environment,” said Hastings who earned her undergraduate degree in exercise science before later coming back to school to get a master’s in clinical mental health in 2023. She now works in the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center in the Athletics Village as a licensed professional counselor associate. “I saw Dr. (Timothy) Malone (South Carolina’s Director of Athletics Mental Health) when I was a student here and had a couple of sessions with him. That was my introduction to sports psychology. As a professional, I started working with a sports psychologist in 2012 after missing the Olympic team that year. It made me realize I needed to make changes in my life that were showing up in other areas.
“I had my son (Liam) in the summer of 2020, and I was in therapy training for Olympic trials. One day I was in a session, and I said, this is what I want to do.”
Now she enjoys doing just that at her alma mater.
“I always knew there would be something after because I can’t run for the rest of my life,” said Hastings, also noting that being well-rounded outside of her sport helped in her transition. “Track and field is not something you retire from and are automatically set for life. Now, I work directly with our student-athletes in mental health and performance. That’s anything from them just needing to have someone to talk to, working through anxiety issues, or things on the field.
“I love working with the students. That’s my favorite part. I love it when my door is open, and they just come in and ask if I have a moment to talk. It’s cool to see the relationships I’ve developed along the way.”
“I wasn’t thinking about a collegiate record. I wasn’t even sure that I’d win. It was probably the most fun I’d ever had to that point.”
Hastings can certainly relate to anything student-athletes are experiencing. She was a 10-time All-American sprinter and three-time NCAA Champion for the Gamecocks, including a sweep of the indoor and outdoor 400m title in 2007. She is also a seven-time SEC Champion in the 400m, 4x100m, and 4x400m. She set the Gamecock Indoor 400m record in a time of 50.80 and was the 2007 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. She is also a two-time Olympian and two-time Olympic gold medalist, taking top honors with the 4x400m for Team USA in 2008 and 2016. Additionally, she competed for Team USA at six World Championships.
“I don’t miss the training, but the competing and travel, yes,” Hastings said with a laugh. “The last few months, I’ve been getting back into the gym. I walk now and lift weights.
“My best memories go back to winning my junior year. I had an undefeated season that year. When I won the indoor national title, I set the collegiate record at the time. I wasn’t thinking about a collegiate record. I wasn’t even sure that I’d win. It was probably the most fun I’d ever had to that point. I was just doing it without expectation.”
While she used to be disappointed that winning medals in relays didn’t garner as much attention as individual wins, Hastings is proud of her Olympic medals and has many fond memories of international competition.
“I think it was the overall experience of 2016 in Rio,” Hastings said. “I was 30, and it was after not making the 2012 team. I had placed fourth in the open competition but got gold in the relay. For a long time in my career, I didn’t celebrate those (relay) medals. To this day, I couldn’t tell you how many medals I’ve won in my career because of all the relays and because there was always another race, and I was thinking about the individual medals.”
After much reflection, she later learned to appreciate the significance of those relay championships. While watching the recent Paris Olympic Games in 2024, she proudly shared her experiences with her son.
Hastings said she knew she would get into the Hall of Fame at some point, and sharing the news with family was a special moment.
“I had missed (Athletics Director) Jeremiah Donati’s call, then saw that he texted me, and I said, this has to be it!” Hastings said. “The last three or four years, whenever it was announced my mom would say, how are you not in the Hall of Fame. I was uber-excited when I was on the phone with him. Then I was thinking, I’m really excited, but I need to get off the phone so I can call my mom!
“When I saw the class, I was excited because I was in school with Mollie (Patton) for a little bit, and when I saw that A’ja (Wilson) was in the class, I said, OK, this is a big deal!”
Hastings is looking forward to Hall of Fame Weekend to share the moment with her six-year old son and the rest of her family.
The Association of Lettermen will hold its induction ceremony on Thursday, October 23 inside Williams-Brice Stadium. The 2025 Hall of Fame class will also be honored during South Carolina’s football game with Alabama on Saturday, October 25.
