KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville Catholic grad Mary Oakley Robertson sent the U.S. women's gymnastics team to Paris with a pretty cool going-away present ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
"I was like yeah I'll paint shoes for some gymnasts, but I didn't process that it was the USA gymnasts," Robertson said.
It was by chance that she was contacted about the opportunity. Robertson painted custom softball cleats for the daughter of Leah Brown, the creative director for OZONE Leotards. Robertson jumped on the chance but had to hustle a little more than usual to fulfill the request.
"She was like, 'We've got to get them out in like 6 or 7 days,'" Robertson said. "I was like, 'Well usually it takes like three weeks but I can do it.'"
Robertson said it took long hours and some help from her family to get the order done in a short period of time, but the end result made the hustle worth it.
"The stuff that was just in my studio is now in their hands," Robertson said. "I've seen pictures and videos on Instagram and some of them took them to Paris and I was like, 'this is the real deal, this is kind of big.'"
She never envisioned getting to this point or painting shoes for people at all. Robertson said she began doing custom shoes when someone noticed the shoes she was wearing at the beach.
"Some girl saw and was like, 'I need those, where did you get them?'" Robertson said. "I painted them, but I don't sell them, I don't do art for people and she's like, 'I will pay you if you do them for me.'"
Robertson has been doing custom art for people for a number of years now, while also going to college and running track for ETSU. Even though she can't watch the Olympics in Paris in person, it's a surreal feeling to know some of her work made the trip.
"It's amazing, it's unreal," Robertson said. "It is an honor for them to go to the Olympics and then just a local girl from Knoxville was able to give those amazing women shoes to take a do whatever, it's incredible really."