Fresno State All-American and former Mountain West Conference heptathlon champion Jestena Mattson joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss the challenges facing her throughout her career, both on and off the track, as an African-American female athlete. Mattson revisits how she has purposely been running a slower pace in recent workouts just to be able to stay close to her training partner for safety concerns in the aftermath of the death of Ahmaud Arbery. She also examines the importance of education and discussion in an effort to bring more attention to the systemic oppression that African-Americans endure, along with racial injustice and inequality. Mattson stresses how important voting in the upcoming elections, both locally and at the national level, will be in an effort to create change and reform in cities across the United States. She also expresses the importance of athletes using their platform on social media and in their own communities to allow the "Black Lives Matter" protests, marches and rallies to continue momentum. Mattson reflects on her experience representing the U.S. in the heptathlon at the World University Games in Italy last year and looking forward to her opportunities to compete for roster spots on future national teams for the Olympics, World Championships and Thorpe Cup in the coming years. She talks about adapting her workouts as a result of quarantine and stay-at-home orders in California, which include creating her own hurdles indoors out of ribbon and a foam roller, as well as outdoors out of PVC pipe. Mattson shares how beneficial it has been to continue working with coach Martin Palavicini following her graduation from Fresno State and transitioning into the professional ranks as a multi-event athlete. She also wears a bracelet every day with the inscription, "You belong in the highest level of this sport," to continue to motivate her in her preparation to compete next year at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.