Eastern Champs double gold fires up thrower Shatoya Chambers
Shatoya Chambers is one of the leading lights in the Oberlin high School track and field programme, specifically the field events programme and she was able to deliver two gold medal performances at the Eastern athletics Championships held at National Stadium in Kingston on tuesday.
Chambers took gold in the Class One girls’ discus throw in the morning session with a best of 37.53m, more than a metre shy of her own record set last year at the same championships, before returning to take gold in the shot put in the afternoon session with a best of 11.26m to eclipse the meet record of 10.86m set by her schoolmate Talleen Gordon last year.
But even with a record-breaking performance, Chambers was not totally happy with what transpired at Eastern Champs.
“I’m not entirely pleased with my performance, because I knew I could have done much better,” she lamented.
With significant changes made to the qualifying process for the “big dance”, the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/ Gracekennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (“Champs”) next month, the Champs veteran knew that it would take something big to be invited back to the party this year.
“It is more of a personal issue. I have been putting a lot of pressure on myself to be in the top 12 for ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Champs,” Chambers noted.
There were, however, a few positives that she will take away from her win on Tuesday.
“I haven’t been in training for a while and this event showed me what I need to work on and also I won both gold medals in the events that I participated in. I’m not very far, with hard work I will be there soon,” she said.
With qualification for Champs now hanging in the balance, the four-time participant is going after the required distance at the meet dubbed Last Chance this Friday.
“I will use this experience as a motivation to push myself in Friday’s meet.”
The 19-year-old admitted to feeling the pressure of being the leader for the girls in the field at Oberlin.
“I feel a little pressure because they look up to me and I would not want to disappoint them at any time, but my push actually drives them to do better,” Chambers stated.
Conditioned by Tamara Williams-gayle, who has guided athletes like of Marie Forbes to major success at Champs, Chambers says that her coach has played a major role throughout her throwing career.
“She is one of my biggest motivator. She is always encouraging me at times when I feel like giving up...she ensures that I stay confident, no matter the situation.”
With four Champs appearances under her belt, Chambers is hoping for one last hurrah before she ends her high school career, and she is hoping that it will be good enough for her to secure a scholarship overseas.
“I am hoping to come in the top three this year. I haven’t obtained any medals at Champs but I have come close. I’m hoping that this year will be my year,” she concluded.
The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association has arranged a final set of meets to be staged tomorrow to give those athletes who are on the brink, one last chance to qualify for the Issa/gracekennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics
Championships which begins on Tuesday, May 11 at National Stadium.