- By Emmerson Campbell
Thirteen-year-old Regina John from District Nine (Rupununi) has been the talking point of this year’s 51st annual National Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track & Field Championships ever since she won the gold medal on Tuesday in the girls open 10km road race.
The shy, small-framed John who only started to run competitively this year at her Sand Creek inter-house school sports stormed to victory, upsetting the two-time 1500-metre Carifta Games gold medallist, 17-year-old Jevina Straker.
The Rupununi athlete who is inexperienced and a virtual unknown won the 10km race in a time of 47 minutes and 57 seconds while Straker’s second place time was 48 minutes, 39 seconds.
The win was even more remarkable as John had arrived in the city only six hours before the start of the race because of transportation issues. Stabroek Sport caught up with the Grade Eight student yesterday at the National Stadium, Providence where she gave this newspaper an interview.
She is from Sand Creek Secondary School and started to train in July for her inter-house school sports.
John added that she trained twice daily and her routine included running up hills and doing sit ups to strengthen her abdominals.
John’s training must have paid off as in September, she demolished the competition at her inter-house sports as well as at the inter-schools and inter-zone sports.
The Rupununi-born girl then brought her talents to the capital city where she continued her winning streak with the stunning upset.
John who is on her first visit to the city clearly has raw talent that needs to be harnessed in order for her to further develop.
Considering the lack of training facilities and certified coaches in the Rupununi it is safe to say John is athletically-gifted.
Meanwhile, the District Nine athlete said that she wishes to make athletics her career but if that does not work out she would like to be a nurse.
With proper training, exposure, sponsorship and coaching, John can possibly be a CARIFTA Games gold medalist like Straker or even better.
John’s victory mirrored another Rupununi athlete in Dorretta Wilson.
Last year Wilson relegated the two-time CARIFTA Games medalist Straker into second place in the same event.
