From disappointment to opportunity: Injury leads athlete to artistic success
When Mary Oakley Robertson first came to East Tennessee State University, she focused on athletics. She ran with the Buccaneer track and field team, but when a hip injury forced her to give that up, she turned to another passion – one that has led to a growing business, with her work visible on the world stage.
The Knoxville native always had a creative streak, and while she was growing up, Robertson would paint designs on everything from canvas to the back of her bedroom door. In fact, at one point, she painted on the wall behind her bed so her parents wouldn’t see.
She even painted a pair of shoes with some old acrylic paint, and wore them on a family trip to the beach. She was surprised when another girl approached her at an ice cream shop, exclaiming, “Where did you get those shoes? They’re so cool!”
Robertson was hesitant at first, but with her mother’s encouragement, she agreed to paint a pair of shoes for this new fan who eagerly asked for her own pair of painted shoes, and MoakleyCustoms was born.
“My biggest supporter encouraged me to take the leap and just do it,” Robertson said of her mom. “It’s something that I love to do and it’s where my heart is – in design and creativity. So why not do it? I did, and it led to a lot of business and success since then.”
While she was focused on running, Robertson occasionally painted some shoes but did not have the free time to go at it full-force. However, after her injury, just when she was at a loss as to what to do, opportunity came her way.
A contact in Knoxville who works for a company that makes leotards for gymnasts reached out to Robertson, asking if she could paint custom shoes for the USA women’s gymnastics team.
“I was in shock and disbelief, and wasn’t convinced that this was happening until she sent me the list of names that each pair of shoes was going to,” Robertson said.
One pair of shoes normally takes Robertson between 20 and 40 hours to complete, depending on the level of detail. But with only five days to complete 10 pairs of shoes, she worked night and day – creating the design, getting official approvals for logo and symbol use, procuring the shoes and painting – and even enlisted the help of her mother and sister.
Together, they completed all 10 pairs of shoes and got to the post office just five minutes before closing to ship them to Texas. The shipment arrived just in time for Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles and the rest of the gymnastics team to open the shoeboxes during their send-off party before heading to Paris for what would become a very successful Olympics, expressing surprise and delight with their new footwear.
Since then, several of the gymnasts have reached out to thank Robertson, and she’s even ended up painting more MoakleyCustoms shoes for not only the gymnasts but also the entire USA Gymnastics staff.
Robertson is a junior at ETSU pursuing a BBA in marketing with a minor in entrepreneurship, learning skills she says she hopes will help her take her business to new heights.
“I go to class every day and I learn something new,” she said of her studies. “And throughout class, I think, ‘How can I apply what I’m learning now, when they’re talking about larger brands – how can I do it for my business?’ So then I come home and think, ‘This is what I’m doing for MoakleyCustoms.’
“I’ve learned the whole analytics side of entrepreneurship, the social media, how important customer relationship is. The education and my major focus classes have completely changed the game. I feel like there’s something I can learn every single day that I walk into the classroom and bring it home with me.”
While having to cut her running career short was disappointing, Robertson is thankful for all that has followed.
“It’s not what I had intended, but there were so many opportunities that came of it,” she said. “Very quickly, that door closed and the next one opened – the shoe and Olympic opportunity came about, and I could not be more grateful for the change that ended up happening.”
Robertson has learned valuable lessons through this experience.
“Everything’s an opportunity to learn and grow,” she said. “Take every opportunity. Don’t count anything out. Live each day to the fullest, and even though you might not be where you want to be, you’re also not where you were in the past. So keep pushing forward.”
Video Transcript
I chose ETSU because I have formed a community and family that is unbeatable.This place has truly felt like home.
I am from Knoxville, Tennessee. I've been an athlete my entire life. And when I came on my official visit here, I ended up committing to my track freshman year, tore my hip labrum, and I tried to come back from that sophomore year.
My doctor told me I had to cut my career short and very quickly that door closed and the next one opened and I could not be more grateful for the change.
I've always been an artist and I painted this pair of shoes randomly one day and Iwore them on a family trip. And a girl stopped me at an ice cream shop and was like, "Where did you get those shoes? They're so cool." And I was like, I painted them. And she's like, "I want them."
I went home and I researched and I brought all the proper supplies and because of her, I was able to create my first pair of shoes and that is how Moakley Customs came about.
There's a local mom, Leah Brown. She did leotards for the gymnasts years ago.She was like, "Is there any way you have time to paint some for the USA gymnasts?" So casually!
I couldn't bring myself to believe that that was what it was. My mom's like, "There's only one USA gymnastics team." And so she sent me the list with the Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles. This is real. I'm actually painting shoes for the USA gymnastics team. So she told me there's 10 pairs that I need done in five days. My heart dropped.
It normally takes 20 hours or more to even get started on a pair. It was like 18 to 22 hours a day in my studio all day for five days straight. It was figure out a design as quick as we can and start painting the next day so it captures everything that has to do with this year's Olympics in Paris. I had to get approval though for a lot of the logos, but we had to just keep going.
I was still wrapping them up and everything at 4:45 pm. I got to the post office at 4:58 pm to get them in the boxes and get them out to each gymnast. I had like a few seconds to spare before the truck was there.
And there was a video of their send off party posted and they all opened up the shoes and Jordan Chiles immediately ripped them out of the box, put them on. It was showing them, they're wearing the shoes! A few of them ended up reaching out to me and thanking me how incredible it was.
I'm working with some to get more pairs done. Not only the gymnasts are getting pairs, but the entire USA gymnast staff is getting pairs.
I'm majoring in business marketing and entrepreneurship. My major focus classes have completely changed the game. How can I apply what I'm learning now whenthey're talking about larger brands, but how can I do it for my business?
I am so fortunate for every blessing that I have been given in my life. My mom, not letting me ever give up on anything.
Live each day to the fullest. Even though you might not be where you want to be now, you're also not where you were in the past. So, keep pushing forward.
###
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
Stay in Touch
Follow ETSU on Social