UT Austin student balancing being track athlete, published sci-fi author

HOUSTON - University of Texas at Austin high jumper Osawese Agbonkonkon is familiar with discipline and reaching new heights. However, off the track, he takes on a different role not many student-athletes partake in: sci-fi author.

Agbonkonkon, a junior economics major at UT Austin with minors in history and English, is the published author of Psychic Suit, a 325-page sci-fi thriller released in 2024.

"It's been a pretty fun ride over the last year and a half with this book," the author said. We spoke briefly earlier this summer just before he headed off to compete in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

Becoming the author of ‘Psychic Suit’

"I grew up on a lot of cartoons. I grew up on a lot of comic books. I was a big reader," Agbonkonkon said. "I was just like action adventure books, you know, being transported into new worlds."

The world he created in Psychic Suit follows one of chaos after a devastating terrorist attack in New York City orchestrated by a group called "The Circle," led by the mysterious Nick Fletcher. The weapon used in the attack is forged from "Psychanium", a rare, sacred metal that should only be accessed by an advanced race of humans known as "The Psychics."

When the metal is stolen, Isazisi Irving, leader of an international intelligence organization called Providence, is accused of failing society. As world leaders demand answers, a scattered group of Psychics must emerge from the shadows to mount a counterattack.

"As I learned how to write, I decided this is a genre that I want to be involved in. These are stories that I want to tell. I want to be able to get as out there as I need to with my creativity," he stated.

Student-athlete balancing act

In a high-stress environment where all that matters is how you step on and off the track, Agbonkonkon has carved out a lane for himself where his creative pursuits allow him to hone in on what matters most to him.

For most collegiate athletes, navigating the schedule of weight training, practices, and university coursework is an exhausting balancing act. Sometimes you need something to provide some relief.

"It has been a creative outlet for me. Athletes live very structured lives," Agbonkonkon said. "So being able to kind of take that structure and say, this is a world where I make the rules. I get to do what I want, I get to have fun with this."

The novel deals with themes relating to mental health, power dynamics, and characters being held to certain standards and subject to public scrutiny.

"Probably the biggest parallel between athletes and what I write about in my book is the idea that the characters in my book are public figures. In a similar way, athletes are usually public figures," he shared.

The college junior states he did his research to make sure the topics were handled with care, but also took note of some ways he could relate as an athlete himself.

"This idea of the weight of expectations that's on you. Eyes being on you. People judging things you do, not being able to kind of hide behind much of anything and having these challenges that are very real that some people might not take seriously or look at you differently," says Agbonkonkon.

He focuses on the idea that public figures such as athletes who may be living a supposedly good life, can also be going through things they need help with.

To him, his dual life as an elite jumper and a world-building author is not a chaotic juggle, but rather a way for him to flex a different, more creative muscle. When looking ahead, he hopes to turn this world into a television series.

Agbonkonkon provided advice on what he would tell other student athletes that might be struggling to start their own side-passions.

"Sometimes you just have to do things, you know? In athletics, we say at some point we have got to stop talking about getting things done and actually get it done," he said. "You need to apply that mentality to almost anything you do in life."

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