RECORD-SETTING LEAP
High school football and basketball star sets provincial standard in high jump
Ajou Ajou, a Grade 10 student at Harry Ainlay, clears 2.02 metres and sets a record in high jump Thursday during the Edmonton zone track and field finals at Foote Field.
It was a decision Ajou Ajou knew he needed to make on his own.
He’s had a dream of earning an college athletic scholarship since he was young and wanted to give himself the best chance to do that.
That meant leaving his mom and siblings back home in Brooks to come to Edmonton. But ever since he’s started wearing the colours of the Harry Ainlay Titans, he’s been making a big name for himself.
Ajou was a big part in leading the Titans to a provincial football championship and then followed it up with a provincial basketball championship.
Now he’s trying to become a provincial champion high jumper.
On Thursday at the 2018 high school Edmonton zone championships at Foote Field, Ajou not only smashed the 38-year-old zone record of 1.94 metres, he also set a new provincial record of 2.02 metres.
His high-flying skills had everyone abuzz at Foote Field.
Now he will try to earn his third provincial title next weekend at the 2018 ASAA provincials in Red Deer.
“Brooks is a small town. I was a big fish in a little pond and I wanted to come here and do my work and show that I can be a big fish in a big pond,” said Ajou, who had a large contingent of his Ainlay football and basketball teammates supporting his record-breaking moment.
“When I get a crowd, I know it’s my time to go off and shine and show these people what I’m about.”
Ajou’s decision to leave his mom and siblings back home to pursue bigger athletic opportunities hasn’t been an easy one, but he knows all about hard work and sacrifice.
He’s learned those traits from his mother.
“It was all my decision. I told my mom, ‘I need to make it out of here. I’m not going to get the same opportunities.’ She’s supported me all the way and right now my decision is paying off,” said Ajou. “My mom was the one who taught me the meaning of hard work. She’s taught me everything. I’m doing this for her.
“She’s so happy. She just keeps telling me to not doing anything stupid. Don’t hang out with the wrong people and keep doing your thing. I just keep telling her, ‘I’ve got you mom.’”
Being raised by a single mom, Ajou learned the value of hard work early on.
For the past 11 years, his mother has worked at the JBS meat-packing plant to support him and his four siblings.
Ajou takes that same mentality whether he’s on the football field running routes as a wide receiver, on the court shooting a pull-up jumper or as a high-jumper for Harry Ainlay.
His whole focus is earning an athletic scholarship in the near future.
“I want to earn my scholarship, I want to make it for her. She’s worked so hard to support us and take care of us,” said Ajou. “It’s been hard. I get homesick, but I’m here for a reason and I know what I need to do.”
Ajou’s getting loads of recognition in football and basketball, two sports he’s played for several years.
He’s only getting started in high jump.
His record-breaking performance was the first time he ever jumped with spikes on.
“I love coaching kids like him. Not just because they’re so naturally gifted, but because he works so hard. He always wants to be better. Every jump he attempts, he wants to do it with the purpose of breaking records,” said Titans head coach Patrick Powell.
“Athletically, he’s so gifted and he has that natural ability, but what you don’t see is how driven he is and how hard he works. We talk about kids being talented like him, but talent only goes so far. He’s so committed to put the time and the work in.”
Ajou has taken to Powell’s coaching techniques and in just a few short weeks has seen his personalbest jumps skyrocket.
“He’s such a great coach. I will listen to him because I know I can succeed with his advice,” said Ajou. “He’s always telling me to visualize before I jump. I never did that before, all I did was go jump. Now I visualize everything: I take all my steps, I arch my back, kick out my legs and it helps so much.”
Ajou will look to officially break the junior boys provincial record at the provincials next week and you have to feel sorry for the rest of Ajou’s competition.
He certainly made a massive statement to the rest of the field breaking the provincial record at the zone meet.
“I always want to be the best. I want my name in the record books,” said Ajou.
“You better come with it because I’m coming full throttle.”
I love coaching kids like him. Not just because they’re so naturally gifted, but because he works so hard. He always wants to be better.