ETSU student Mary Oakley Robertson had just five days to design, paint, package, and ship custom shoes for some of the world’s most famous athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Among the recipients? Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, and Jordan Chiles of Team USA Women’s Gymnastics. It was a race against time, but Mary approached it like she was going for gold — determined, focused, and ready to give it her all.
“It was intense,” she said. “I’d work all day in my studio.”
As an athlete, she once dreamed of competing on a global stage. After an injury ended her track career, she pursued her true passion for art, a reminder that new opportunities arise from adversity.
Mary’s entrepreneurship journey began when someone complimented a pair of shoes she had painted for herself and asked if she could create a custom pair. With encouragement from her mom, she launched MoakleyCustoms.
Now a senior at ETSU, Mary is preparing a collection for the USA Gymnastics staff while applying the knowledge she’s gained as a business marketing and entrepreneurship student.
“The classes at ETSU completely changed the game for me. I’m learning to apply everything from analytics to social media to build my brand,” Mary said.
Her advice for others is clear: “Take every opportunity. Don’t count anything out.
Even if you’re not where you want to be, keep pushing because there’s greatness at
the end of it.”
By Yasmeen Elayan | Photo by Ron Campbell
Read more incredible stories in the Winter 2025 Edition of ETSU Today. #BucsGoBeyond
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