Fifteen year-old junior sprint sensation Tevin Garraway is hoping to miraculously overcome a hamstring injury to compete at the 2012 Guyana Teacher Union (GTU) National Swimming, Athletics and Cycling Championships this week.
After a sensation track season early in 2012, Garraway has been experiencing a string of back luck in the last two months. After qualifying for the South American Youth Championships in Argentina, Garraway was told by the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) that he would not be able to attend because of their financial inadequacies.
To add insult to injury, (pardon the pun) Garraway strained his hamstring for the first time at the recently concluded Inter Services Annual Athletics Championship at the GDF ground. Since this is the first time that Garraway has suffered that type of injury he was unsure on how he will be able to overcome it for this week’s Nationals. When contacted by Stabroek Sport Sunday, Garraway said that he is all excited to compete at Nationals as he has been doing so religiously ever since he was in primary school. Garraway had hoped to not only defend his title in the sprint events but to shatter the records in the under 18 category. The under 18 100m and 200m records are currently held by South American 2012 Under 23 bronze medallist Chavez Ageday but Garraway’s performances earlier this season were faster than those records.
The Leonara Secondary School student also had his eyes fixed on breaking South American Junior and Under bronze 23 bronze medallist Stephon James’ 400m mark. Having strained his hamstring, Garraway said that those goals may be harder to accomplish. However, Garraway is still optimist about his chances.
Garraway, who will be representing District Three (West Demerara) will compete in his first event, 100m heat tomorrow. Garraway said that he will be using this event to assess his level of fitness and his capability to compete in all three events.
“After the 100m heats, then I’ll know if I can do it,” Garraway said. As long as I get to warm up properly and everything I think I will be able to, but I will after the 100m then I will know for sure,” Garraway added. Garraway made the finals in the under-18 category of the CARIFTA Games earlier this year and was regarded as a sure medallist by several local coaches for the South American Youth Championships in Argentina, if the AAG had found funding to send him.
