England-born chases sprint dreams to Jamaica
Arecord number of entries from overseas athletes from the Caribbean, Africa and Europe have flooded Jamaican high schools and will be on parade when the five-day ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girl’s Athletics Championships (Champs) get underway on March 19.
One of these athletes is 18-yearold Trezeguet Taylor of Edwin Allen High School, specialising in the 100 metres. Taylor, born in Great Britain to Jamaican parents, will compete in Class One for the second time after entering the institution last year.
According to Taylor, in a recent interview with STAR Sports, her love for track and field and the quest to improve catalysed the transition to Jamaica.
“I started competing in the sport when I was six years old. I was very fast and told myself that, when I got older, I would go to Jamaica, because I thought it was the best place to be as a sprinter.
“I decided to come here and I picked Edwin Allen because I have been following their progress over the years,” Taylor said.
She has had limited success so far, being only a part of Edwin Allen’s Class One girls’ 4x100 metres relay last year.
She has shown tremendous improvement since and will now participate in the 100 metres, where she is the second-fastest girl at the school in the event, behind the outstanding Class
Two athlete, Thieanna-Lee Terrelonge.
PERSONAL BEST
Taylor has a personal best of 11.69 seconds, which she did in her opening race at the Pure Water /JC/R. Danny Williams meet a few weeks ago, and last Saturday at the Youngster Goldsmith Classics, she clocked 11.84 seconds for the fastest time on the day among Class One. Taylor is the second-fastest Class One sprinter this season, behind Hydel High School’s Aaliah Baker, who clocked 11.59 seconds in winning at the Jamaica College meet. Born in Manchester, England, Taylor has adapted to the change of environment and is enjoying her stay at Edwin Allen, having acclimatised and loving her new teammates. “At first, when I came to Edwin Allen, it was hard to adjust, as things were much different here in Jamaica than in England. Back home, we did not train every day, lived in a dorm and travelled to training,” shared Taylor.
HELPING EDWIN
She looks forward to doing well for Edwin Allen in the 100 and 4x100 metres relay while helping Edwin Allen win back the girls’ title at Champs.
“There are some outstanding athletes in Class One and I know it will not be easy, but, as long as I continue to train hard and remain focused, I know I can do very well, as, to stay at the top, I have to make sacrifices,” Taylor said.
“I felt very disappointed last year to know that, in my first year at the school, they lost their team title after winning for so many years, but I am determined to help them win back the title.
“This is my second and final year in representing the school, and I am definitely looking forward to running something around 11.4 seconds, as I just want to make my fans here and in Great Britain proud,” she continued.