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TODD I TOLD YOU I WON’T STOP
"TODD" I TOLD YOU THAT I WON'T STOP
He is not your traditional
sprinter or hurdler that the Star Trackers are renowned for. Instead, Reanno Todd is holding his own as one the rising young long jumpers in the country.
The 15-year-old 10th grader at C.R. Walker Secondary High, is undefeated so far this year in the under-17 boys division as he carries the Star Trackers banner with distinction.
“He has been with us for quite some time, but over the course of the year or year and a half, we’ve really seen him grow up to become a young man,” said David Charlton, the founder, and head coach of the Star Trackers Track Club.
“He’s now a leader in our organization. He leads a lot of practice sessions. His maturity has really improved, as well as his attitude and work ethics. He is very coachable. He is a late bloomer, but I think he has the ability to go extremely far.”
Standing tall at 6-feet, Todd continues to make huge strides, soaring to a personal best of 20-feet, 7 3/4-inches or 6.29 metres, but he would be the first to admit that from where he came from, nobody would have expected to see him achieve what he has done so far.
I’ve done,” said Todd, who is also looking forward to adding the triple jump to his repertoire. “In the future,
I would love to go to a division one school and continue my track career.”
Whether he succeeds or not, Todd said he is also looking forward to making a name for himself as a budding artistic artist, noting that “I really love to draw artistic things.” Pressed a bit further, he indicated because he is a “good one (artist) too.”
Todd, however, said he feels he is in the right element competing in track and field because the coaches in Star Trackers never gave up on him. He noted that they encourage him every day to put his best foot forward. “They have helped me to get to where I am today,” he stressed.
He thanked God for giving him the ability to compete, his mother, whom he labels as his number one supporter and the coaches who work with him daily.
While he works specifically under the supervision of Star Trackers’ assistant coach Rudolph Ferguson, Todd gets his pointers in the pit from Coach James Rolle, the head coach of Leap of Faith Jumpers Club.
Nobody is prouder of his accomplishments than his mother, Xaviera Roach, a former all-around sportswoman as a student of H.O. Nash School.
“When he started out as a sprinter, I was a little hopeful,” she said. “I had it naturally when I competed, but he had to work for it. So, I tried to encourage him to try the long jump or to play basketball.
“Every time I tried to talk him out of it, he used to tell me, ‘Mommy, did you see how my form was getting better?’ He was not listening to my negative thoughts.
“So, to see where he has come from to where he is now, I am so proud of him. I am so happy for him because he is so happy with his success. He has improved so much. I’m very proud.”
Today, Todd is one of the star athletes for the Star Trackers Track Club, headed by the husband/wife team of David and Laura Charlton.
By BRENT STUBBS Tribune Sports Reporter
Congratulations Star Trackers for 20 Years of dedication and commitment to the development of our Student Athletes & To Anthaya Charlton on her stellar athletic and academic achievements C-Pra Rubis
