Seventeen is the pivotal age of adolescence.

College and career plans begin to come into focus, as the prospect of never again worrying about being late to homeroom becomes more of a reality with each passing day. And with this new reality come questions: Where do I go from here? What do I want to do with my life?

Like nearly everyone else, Ashanti came to that crossroads at 17. Before she realized her voice could make even the most hardened thugs show their tender side, Ashanti Douglas was a bona fide track-and-field star. So fleet of foot was she that a college scholarship nearly prevented her from pursuing a career in music.

A speed demon in the 100- and 200-meter dash in eighth grade, she was recruited by New York's Glen Cove High School to be the youngest member of their track team. Although her skills in the triple jump garnered interest from college scouts from Princeton and Hampton University, among other schools, it wasn't her first choice in events. In fact, she enlisted almost by default.

"I did triple jump kind of accidentally," Ashanti said. "I got into the whole triple-jump thing because [the coaches] were like, 'Try three events. Everyone always does three events.'

"So I was like, 'OK, we'll see what's going on with this sand pit' and it ended up being the most important event for me. It turned out I could jump."

Good thing for her fans Ashanti went from jumping in a sand pit to making people jump up on the dance floor.

For more on Ashanti's athleticism, as well as how Tony Hawk invented his own gym class and why Jessica Simpson didn't graduate along with her friends, check out "When I Was 17," premiering September 2 at 6 p.m. ET.