One-a-Week youths shine at Kiss 5K

Young runners coached by Derrick Simon (kneeling left) pose before the start of the TTIM Kiss 5K on January 26, 2019 at Jackson Square, Port of Spain. At back left is administrator Rebeca Keung Fatt and kneeling at right is coach Dexter Simon.
Young runners coached by Derrick Simon (kneeling left) pose before the start of the TTIM Kiss 5K on January 26, 2019 at Jackson Square, Port of Spain. At back left is administrator Rebeca Keung Fatt and kneeling at right is coach Dexter Simon.

WHEN the TT International Marathon held its Kiss 5K last Saturday, +OAW (Plus One-a-Week) Youth Academy and its 12 runners showed the country that the future of national distance runners is in good hands.

Selected from a large pool of 65 runners, mostly from St John’s Boys RC (Diego Martin Boys RC), the dozen young athletes came out to do their respective schools, coaches, parents and the nation proud. The academy's founders, Rebeca Keung Fatt and coach Derrick Simon, along with assistant coach Rain Harper, were obviously all smiles.

Eight-year-old Da Shaun Lezama, one of the youngest competitors, clocked 26 minutes, 19.5 seconds for a commendable 91st place finish. Khadeem John, 14, brought home his and the academy’s first ever piece of silverware after grabbing gold in the Boys 15-and-under age category in 20 minutes, 27.5 seconds. Khadeem, having only joined in November, finished 14th overall, less than five minutes behind the 27-year-old winner Shirvan Baboolal.

Some of the other +OAW athletes who competed creditably were: Keiel Samuel, Justin Hunte, Da Shaun Lezama, Khordae Lewis, Khordel Lewis, Omarie Thompson, Brandon Castanada, Aden Khan, Timothy Wilson, Neilon Neaves.

Simon suggested the success of the youths at his club was as a result of his recent trip to Kenya, home of the world’s great distance runners. He visited the town of Iten, which is famous for its massive running community.

He said, “[I built] Great relationships and new friendships with the camp staff, coaches and athletes. But the one aspect of the experience which took me to a deep place of introspection was the purity of the connection of running with the Kenyans from a simple, uncomplicated, pure and untarnished lifestyle.”

He added, “I had the privilege to speak to many young athletes and I realised one similarity – running gives them hope, a pathway to become, an energy to stay focused, and an avenue to create opportunity. (I thought) Why not give the same to kids in Trinidad that are in similar situations? Give them the opportunity to have a positive influence on their lives; a pathway to something other than the negative influences which plague our society. Give them hope for a brighter more meaningful and positive future.”

Simon said he believes children can be influenced positively from an early age, the primary school years, through a healthy medium such as running sports.

He explained how the under-15 champion Khadeem, one of the few runners not from St John’s Boys RC, got into the programme and won his first medal.

“Kadeem frequently came to sessions with his twin brothers, Khordae and Khordel, and instead of sitting around, I invited him to join one of the sessions. I spotted a diamond in the rough and integrated him into the programme. We focus heavily on correct running technique and biomechanical movements which I was taught in Kenya by coach Timo Limo and Brother Colm (O'Connell), the founder of the Kenyan style of training,” Simon said.

St John’s Boys RC was the first school to take up on +OAW Youth Academy’s proposal to set up the base and coach Derrick has ensured all student-athletes balance extracurricular activities with their studies.

“The kids are held accountable to ensure good grades are developed and maintained," he said, adding, "Parents are educated on balancing training with school work, good nutritional daily habits for the kids and general holistic guidance to ensure they stay healthy throughout their development.”

Among the immediate plans for +OAW Youth Academy is to establish an exchange programme between local student-athletes and those from Iten St Patrick’s, a school in Kenya. Simon, who is also a triathlon coach, said he wants to introduce the sport to the academy after some more ground work is done on the distance-running side of the club.

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"One-a-Week youths shine at Kiss 5K"

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