Fortune to follow her dream

Jan 14, 2012 Sports

Guyana’s sprint queen Alicia Fortune is still following her dream, one she had since she was nine years old, the dream of qualifying for Olympics.
Kaieteur Sport was made to understand that Fortune, who partakes in both athletics and bodybuilding, is on the verge of trying to meet the criteria for the London Olympic Games since there is enough room left for qualification.
The senior sprint queen, who is presently nursing a hamstring injury she suffered last year July, told Kaieteur Sport that her main focus for this year in athletics will be mostly on International meets.
“I am nursing a hamstring injury on both legs that I got last year July; I should be able to compete perfectly within the next two months…I have been eating healthy and I am planning to be smart this year to prevent most injuries.”
Fortune revealed that she will be putting the 400 meters to rest and allow her focal events to be the two main sprint doubles, which are the 100m and 200m. Fortune’s personal best times electronically in the 100m (Hampton Games in 1996) and 200m events (Manny Ramjohn Games in Trinidad and Tobago) are 11.6 seconds and 23.51 seconds respectively.
“I believe that the 200m will give me a better chance in qualifying for the Olympics, I have also decided to put the 400m to rest for now and focus more on the 100m and 200m as I chase my dream.”
As most clubs are engaged in off season training, the sprint queen, who started running at age 9 and still continues at her present age, 36, declared that her club, ‘Running Brave’ is conducting training in the hills on the Linden highway.
The athlete/bodybuilder also disclosed that the National Park track is in an awful state and said that was where she got her hamstring injury.
“Most injuries are picked up in the National Park while training by the athletes; it have a lot of holes and I lately twisted my ankle in a hole while doing some run outs there, thank God it was not serious.”
Questioning the 36 years old athlete of how she maintains running at this age, she said “It is a lot of sacrifices and it’s not an easy road because most people see someone’s glory but don’t know the story. All my output came from me being determined and being discipline and eating healthy.”
Fortune further added that being a bodybuilder and an athlete is a plus for her, since both sports coincide with gym work, “Most of my bodybuilding competitions are in the latter part of the year and this is when we have off-season training and its better for me because I can fully prepare myself for that.”
Questioning Fortune of how she feels of her daughter, Andrea Foster following her footsteps in athletics, she said that it was a surprise to her to know that her daughter would have actually become an athlete. “She did it in her own desire and it is in her genes…she started to follow up athletics after running for school sports and that was where the coaches saw her ability. Leslie Blacks promised that he would have supported her once she continues the sport and bought her first athletic footwear.”
Fortune continued by saying that her daughter, who made her first International meet in Suriname last year at the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG), would like to become a Doctor, “She told me she would like to become a Doctor and I know she have a great potential in the future as it relates to sports and her career.”
Meanwhile, Fortune expressed her gratitude to all her sponsors that supported her in her athletic career, “I am grateful for the sponsorship I received from all business organizations and individuals as well in my athletic career.”
She concluded by leaving a few words to the Guyanese athletes, “Winners do not quit, losers do!” (Juanita Hooper)

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