Tweet
Former Holmwood star yearns for spotlight... sees light at end of comeback tunnel
Richard Bryan, Star Writer
Salcia Slack dons the Jamaican flag after finishing the 800m (2:14.53) event in the pentathlon. She won the pentathlon with a record 3,935 points. - Anthony Foster photo
Expect the multi-talented former Holmwood Technical track star Salcia Slack to be back in competitive action soon. That's the word from the athlete, whose attempts to become a senior heptathalon star was setback by pregnancy last year.
Slack got pregnant in what would have been her final term at Holmwood - merely a month after she had just secured the top female athlete award for the second year at the Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships at the national stadium.
She would have been too old to have been selected for any of the world junior teams but other opportunities for national selection may have been missed.
special [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]summer [COLOR=blue !important]camp[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]
Salcia Slack shows children at a summer camp hosted in Christiana at Holmwood Technical how to play football. - Richard Bryan
She has since stayed out of the spotlight, but The Star caught up with her, as she balanced taking care of her six-month-old son, Vendray, while being the main presenter at a special summer camp, sponsored by Right Deal [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Wholesale[/COLOR][/COLOR] on the grounds of her alma mater.
"Mi hardly have any of my track clothes (gear) as a lot of the athletes who came to visit me think that mi finished with track and field," explained Slack.
Not so though, said Slack, who looked strong yet nimble while doing a host of activities, including providing football lessons to youngsters from Christiana and surrounding towns in Manchester.
"I'm more motivated now and I am even stronger now," boasted Slack, who lives with her mother in St James.
"Athletics is not something I could afford to give up now as nothing nuh betta out deh suh," she said.
Despite being forced to stay away from the spotlight in the last year, Slack, who is 19, says her plans have not been shelved.
For one, she was able to secure six passes in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council examinations, and more significantly, the MVP track and field club has kept honoured an earlier promise to sign her.
In fact, Slack told The Star that the club contacted her recently about attending the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]University[/COLOR][/COLOR] of Technology. According to Slack, the process for her to pursue a course in [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]child [COLOR=blue !important]care[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] had already begun.
Slack has also found new moral and financial support from Michael Kerr, chief organiser and sponsor of the summer camp.
Kerr, a former student at Munro and a junior representative in hockey, said Slack had shown the energy and attitude to be back on the athletic scene.
"She is just 400 points from gaining the senior standard to compete in the heptathalon and I have no doubt now that she will fulfil that promise of our first hep champion," Kerr told The Star.
Slack's role at the summer camp was also tangible evidence that the coaches at her school have remained supportive.
Kerr said it was Edward Hector, Holmwood's vice principal and the boys' head coach, who recommended Slack to teach at the summer camp, a decision that has proven mutually beneficial. "All I wanted to do was to organise something that the children around here could enjoy and if it helps in any way to reposition a Salcia Slack, then God be praised," added Kerr, who is also a promoter of [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]gospel [COLOR=blue !important]music[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR].
Holmwood Technical's Salcia Slack competing in the Class One discus setting a new mark of 45.13m. - file photos
Richard Bryan, Star Writer Salcia Slack dons the Jamaican flag after finishing the 800m (2:14.53) event in the pentathlon. She won the pentathlon with a record 3,935 points. - Anthony Foster photo
Expect the multi-talented former Holmwood Technical track star Salcia Slack to be back in competitive action soon. That's the word from the athlete, whose attempts to become a senior heptathalon star was setback by pregnancy last year.
Slack got pregnant in what would have been her final term at Holmwood - merely a month after she had just secured the top female athlete award for the second year at the Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships at the national stadium.
She would have been too old to have been selected for any of the world junior teams but other opportunities for national selection may have been missed.
special [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]summer [COLOR=blue !important]camp[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]
Salcia Slack shows children at a summer camp hosted in Christiana at Holmwood Technical how to play football. - Richard Bryan
She has since stayed out of the spotlight, but The Star caught up with her, as she balanced taking care of her six-month-old son, Vendray, while being the main presenter at a special summer camp, sponsored by Right Deal [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Wholesale[/COLOR][/COLOR] on the grounds of her alma mater.
"Mi hardly have any of my track clothes (gear) as a lot of the athletes who came to visit me think that mi finished with track and field," explained Slack.
Not so though, said Slack, who looked strong yet nimble while doing a host of activities, including providing football lessons to youngsters from Christiana and surrounding towns in Manchester.
"I'm more motivated now and I am even stronger now," boasted Slack, who lives with her mother in St James.
"Athletics is not something I could afford to give up now as nothing nuh betta out deh suh," she said.
Despite being forced to stay away from the spotlight in the last year, Slack, who is 19, says her plans have not been shelved.
For one, she was able to secure six passes in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council examinations, and more significantly, the MVP track and field club has kept honoured an earlier promise to sign her.
In fact, Slack told The Star that the club contacted her recently about attending the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]University[/COLOR][/COLOR] of Technology. According to Slack, the process for her to pursue a course in [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]child [COLOR=blue !important]care[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] had already begun.
Slack has also found new moral and financial support from Michael Kerr, chief organiser and sponsor of the summer camp.
Kerr, a former student at Munro and a junior representative in hockey, said Slack had shown the energy and attitude to be back on the athletic scene.
"She is just 400 points from gaining the senior standard to compete in the heptathalon and I have no doubt now that she will fulfil that promise of our first hep champion," Kerr told The Star.
Slack's role at the summer camp was also tangible evidence that the coaches at her school have remained supportive.
Kerr said it was Edward Hector, Holmwood's vice principal and the boys' head coach, who recommended Slack to teach at the summer camp, a decision that has proven mutually beneficial. "All I wanted to do was to organise something that the children around here could enjoy and if it helps in any way to reposition a Salcia Slack, then God be praised," added Kerr, who is also a promoter of [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]gospel [COLOR=blue !important]music[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR].
Holmwood Technical's Salcia Slack competing in the Class One discus setting a new mark of 45.13m. - file photos
Comment