Leading up to an Olympic Hopeful: Aja was born in Seattle, Washington in 1978. She lived in various towns in the Pacific Northwest before her family settled down in Monroe, Washington. In the rural areas around her home, Aja loved exploring the woods, riding horses, and teasing the family pets. She honed her competitive edge playing Nintendo and soccer. In the sixth grade, Aja won a high jump competition. It was the first track and field event that she had entered.

Aja Frary is one of America's premier heptathletes. She is the 2001 NCAA Bronze Medallist. Aja also took 7th place at the 2001 USA Championships, earned All American Honors, and achieved a new personal record of 5,751 points. Her standout performances in 2001 followed her impressive ninth place finish at the 2000 USA Olympic trials.

Aja graduated from San Diego State University in May of 2001. She now lives at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego. Aja spent her freshman year at WSU in Pullman, Washington before transferring to San Diego State University. At SDSU, under the tutelage of head coach Rahn Sheffield, Aja made the decision to take on one of the greatest challenges in women's track and field: the heptathlon.

It was a gutsy decision considering that she had experience in only four out of the seven heptathlon events. But with her typical headstrong attitude, Aja threw herself into the work of mastering the multiple skills required of heptathletes. At the end of her sophomore year, Aja took second place at the WAC championships. She had become a valuable member of the SDSU track team, and earned a full athletic scholarship. With the support of Sheffield and the coaching team at SDSU, Aja has developed from a talented athlete, to a disciplined, focused competitor of national renown. With her combination of strength, heart, versatility, Aja's potential is unlimited.