Stadium Lights & Running Spikes: 2014

Track Season 2014-2015

Goal: To raise $6,500 -By December 1st.

Hey Everyone!

It's finally fall which means, in track world, its pre-season training time. I'm excited this season more than any other season in my entire life as this season not only will I be coached by one of the best track coaches in the world, Bob Kersee, but I will officially be a NIKE athlete!

I can't begin to explain how rewarding it is to be in the position to have a coach like Bob Kersee as my coach. It's taken me years to get to the point where I felt like letting go was the right course of action and I finally feel that level of comfort and confidence in my new coach. While I have been training since August, I start training with the team in a week.

These past years running on the National team for Trinidad & Tobago has been very rewarding. I am so very grateful for all the people, personal and those I stumble upon, who have supported me in every facet that one could imagine.

This year while I am happy to be sponsored by Nike, it does not include any monetary support and while I do run for a great country, there are times (like now) where they have difficulty funding their athletes.

While I'm not a big fan of fundraising, I do so out of necessity in so far as I want to make sure that this year I am able to train as needed with enough supplements, medical attention and all the other things that enable me to train during the day. While I do work, (I work as a Writer) and occasionally will train young athletes, it is not enough to successfully sustain the level that I'm at so that I am not only able to train hard but also have enough energy and resources to recover.

Every year I have been mostly funding myself through this sport and shy away from asking for any assistance as I realize everyone too has there projects and or business that they are working to fund. This year I am taking the initiative as I want to make sure I get the most out of Bobby's training. And in order to do that I need to make sure that I am in the position to recover as needed and that I don't have back pay from last season hovering over me. Every season, I spend half or more of my season paying off expenditures from my season before and I'd like to be able to not go into this season at a deficit. I'd like to be able to have enough to move into this season with a balanced stability that would enable me to be as efficient as possible as this is the pre-season to my next and final Olympics.

My goal is to raise $6,500 by December 1'st. While this may seem like a hefty amount, much of it is already spoken for as it will help me pay off my last season and get me started properly into this one. My biggest focus is that I am able to have the best season I've ever had going into Olympic year. In 2012 I went to Olympic Trials, got down to finals and placed 7th. It felt so frustrating that I had spent 4 years working towards something that had I had a little more help to aid in my recovery, it could have changed things. While I was grateful to qualify for Trials, I want and know I can do better.
This time around there will be no woulda' coulda' shoulda's, it's my job to ensure that I have what I need and if seeking assistance will enable that, than that is the course of action I will take.

Thank you for all of you who do and have supported me in the past and for just reading this post!
The DONATE button is on the left corner of the blog, it's via paypal. Any amount you are able to give is helpful, nothing is ever too small. I'm grateful for all and any assistance.
As I'm normally a private person I always tend to have difficulty updating this blog, however, it is my new aim this year to share my experiences throughout the season so I will frequent this blog more with weekly posts, so stay tuned! If you have any questions and or comments please feel free to email me at Magnoliah11@yahoo.com. Also if you are interested to find out more about my alter ego, Magnolia Lafleur, please check out my other blog: http://thechandelieraffair.wordpress.com/

Below I've included some photos to where my last season ended up. I was selected to run at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas on the 4x400 team.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND STAY TUNED!