TOKYO (AP) — Dan Michalski was working at Walmart just a few years ago. Add to that a job at a real estate business, a shoe store, a bike shop, Jimmy John’s and as a college coach.

He effortlessly runs off the long list of jobs.

“Oh yeah, I’ve done all kinds of things,” he said.

On Saturday, he ran just as easily in a preliminary heat of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the world track and field championships, finishing third in his heat to reach the 15-runner final. He described the feeling as “really special.”

“I think about the times I was doing hill workouts by myself out in the middle of Texas — putting in a world-championship effort with nobody around,” he said.

Michalski has lived the way a lot of track and field athletes do: on the edge, waiting for a breakthrough, and hoping they can just stick with it and pay the bills.

Setbacks. He’s had a few.

He won the steeplechase at the NCAA Division II championships in 2017 running for Cedarville University. Running later for Indiana, he led the steeplechase in the NCAA championships in 2019 but fell at the final water jump and finished seventh.

He was fourth at Olympic trials in 2021, and missed making the U.S. team by a single spot. He didn’t even race in the final at last year’s trials.

“It was the downest year of my post-collegiate career,” he said. “This is really a big kind of slingshot forward.”

Michalski can thank the United States Air Force for his recent success. He’s in their World Class Athlete Program, went to basic training and technical training school, and carries the rank of E-4 — a senior airman.

When his running career ends, he’ll owe the Air Force a few more years — maybe more than that if he receives an officer’s commission.

“So I’m taking care of my family and I’ve got benefits and I’ll have some Air Force career at the end of my athletic career,” said Michalski, who turned 30 this week.

He has three children — daughters Macy and Daley, a son named Joe and a wife named Abby.

He also finally has stability, and the results are coming.

“Not that many do stick with it,” he said. “Sometimes there are big incentives out of college. But people sink or swim. I’ve never really had the big contracts but I’ve had a lot of people believing in me and a really supportive wife.”

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