Kineke Alexander chronicles athletics experience

Kineke Alexander, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ most decorated athlete, last Saturday at the awards and recognition ceremony of Team Athletics SVG, held at Frenches House, retraced her steps in the sport of track and field over the last 23 years.{{more}}

Performing the task of featured speaker, Alexander in her delivery, captioned: “An Athlete’s Experience – Growth and Development as a Vincentian athlete,” made it clear that it has not been an easy road.

Having started her track and field pursuits at the primary school level, Alexander represented St Vincent and the Grenadines in the Under-8 category at the biennial Caribbean Union of Teachers Games.

After being winless in her first outing, it was at the said games that she tasted her first regional accolade, when she was the top female performer at the Under-15 age group, years later.

Her next step was the prestigious Carifta Games, but according to Alexander, “I felt like a fish out of water and the licks and blows began…. I was crushed… My feelings were hurt, but I wasn’t going to give up.”

Alexander, however, went on to gain two medals at the Carifta level; a bronze medal in the 400m in the Under-17 age group in 2001 and a silver in the same event when she moved up to the Under-20 in 2003.

In between, Alexander gained a silver medal in the Under-17 division of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in 2002, also in the 400m, which by then had become her pet event.

With hard work being her mantra, Alexander became the first choice at major regional and international meets.

Among her other national representations were at the World Youth Championships, the World Junior Championships, PANAM Juniors and the NACAC Under-23.

Her local and regional efforts positioned Alexander to gain a full scholarship to Iowa University in the USA in 2004.

But Alexander noted that it was a battle with the cold weather, the hard knocks of training and juggling her academics.

“… I eventually embraced the opportunity…. I found my strength and used every opportunity I was given to further my education and athletics career…. I was determined to get myself to the next level so I could make a way for my mother and me.”

Alexander’s further training enhanced her performance, which positioned her to cop bronze medals at the CAC Games and the NACAC Games.

Other efforts saw her winning a gold medal in the 200m and a bronze in the 400m at the 2013 CAC Games and last year, she picked up a bronze in the 400m at the PANAM Games.

Alexander, who has attended the World Indoor Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships and the Olympics, has attained other accomplishments.

“At the end of my four-year university career, I had made a name for myself and likewise my country…. I had created records at my institution… I had multiple All American titles to my name…,” Alexander recalled.

But more bumps came as she turned to the track as a profession.

“I always thought as a professional athlete you would have to run and get free clothes and money as payment…. Little did I know this would not be so for me, as my hopes were often crushed by constant injuries,” Alexander stated.

However, she revealed that she has been able to weather the storms and thanked, among others, her mother, Gail Diamond, whom she claimed “struggled with me the straight and narrow.”

Mention was also made of the contributions to her journey of the late Sister Patricia-Ann Douglas, Dexter and Lotier Rose, teachers and coaches, Team Athletics SVG, the National Olympic Committee, the National Lotteries Authority, the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines, along with other well-wishers.(RT)