Allam Bushara hasn’t finished soaring through the air yet.
Bushara’s in his fifth and final year jumping for Colorado State track and field with one last chance to improve upon his legacy.
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The high-flying jumper experienced a somewhat turbulent career at CSU — one that yielded both personal and athletic growth. He’s focused on the current 2024 outdoor track season for now, but his sights are ultimately set on the future.
Bushara’s name can be found on the walls of the Glenn Morris Fieldhouse, a tribute to his record-breaking years of triple jumping. He’s had a collegiate career littered with accolades: CSU triple jump record holder, three consecutive All-Mountain West appearances, multiple Mountain West championships and more.
All that hardware didn’t come easily.
Bushara was denied a scholarship at CSU his first year despite a top national ranking in high school. At the time, the NCAA didn’t allow conjunctive use of financial aid and athletic scholarships. He was there on his own dime.
“It was awful,” Bushara said. “I couldn’t pay for a lot of things because I was broke the whole time. It was super shitty because I was like, ‘I’m a really good athlete, and I’m helping them win championships.”’
His first two years featured as many coaches, leaving little time to develop a rapport with them. Bushara’s current mentor, assistant coach Maria Creech, was the most involved throughout his collegiate career.
“He’s definitely the most stubborn athlete I’ve ever coached, but he also might be the only athlete that I have as close a relationship with,” Creech said. “He knows he can come to me with pretty much anything, and he’s come to me with some things.”
Bushara’s impact expanded to his teammates as well. Teammate and fellow triple jumper Ismael Dembele heard of Bushara before they even met. Dembele transferred to CSU in search of a competent training partner and guide.
“A big thing with me coming here was because (Bushara) was here,” Dembele said. “The coach told me (about his) work ethic — everyone has told me how hard he works.”
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Bushara wasn’t born with all that dedication. He credits much of his growth to his parents, the people who uprooted their entire lives to move from Sudan to the U.S. Bushara and his siblings are all first-generation Americans as a result of his parents’ decision.
“Since I’ve been out of the house, my dad has been great,” Bushara said. “I can ask him what I should do about anything. His advice is crystal — amazing, amazing advice.”
Bushara’s siblings each carved paths unique from his. His two sisters and brother are a scientist, future lawyer and an Escoffier School of Culinary Arts student, respectively. Like him, Bushara’s siblings possess healthy amounts of ambition.
“For me, personally, it’s all about making my parents happy,” Bushara said. “They sacrificed so much for me to be here, and I need to repay them somehow.”
Bushara has plans to fulfill his father’s wish of becoming an engineer, something his father thought would fit perfectly. Bushara owns a 3D printer used for constructing models and prototypes for personal projects. His time working at Alpine Landscaping has allowed him to construct parts for equipment and practice his craft.
While he plans to eventually come back to college for an engineering degree, his true, immediate passion lies in aviation. His dream of becoming a pilot started with a gift from his father: a model airplane. This isn’t just some childhood fantasy, though.
“I have a whole sim setup at my house,” Bushara said. “If you asked me to start a (Boeing) 737 and take it up into the air and do a flight, I could do it. I promise you I could do it.”
Bushara plans on attending flight school after he graduates from CSU. His appetite for athletics pales in comparison to his desire to take to the skies.
“I really want to be a pilot,” Bushara said. “More than anything — more than any goal that I wanted in track and field. It’s a passion that I can’t let go of the most.”
In the meantime, Bushara’s still chasing an NCAA All-American finish, one of the few awards absent from his collection. This would mean maintaining a high level of performance through the NCAA outdoor track and field championship. A top-16 final standing merits All-American Second Team in track and field.
Bushara has already qualified for NCAA regionals this season, the prerequisite for a bid to the national championship. It’s still left to be seen if Bushara walks away from the world of jumping as an All-American or something just shy. Either way, this athlete’s story is far from over.
“If you aim for the stars and you miss, you’ll land on the clouds,” Bushara said.
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.
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