Taking Inspiration From Shericka Jackson, Alana Reid Shares the Pressures of Being a Track and Field Athlete: “No Matter the Circumstances…”

Track and field is one of the most widely acclaimed sports across the world, and the United States and Jamaica are the two nations that have blazed the trail in gifting the world with some of the finest athletes in the domain. With athletes like Shericka Jackson and Sha’Carri Richardson leading the pack for their respective nations, several other names are getting inspired by the latter track stars.

One such name is 19-year-old Alana Reid of Jamaica, who has been carving her path in athletics. In a recent interview, Reid shared that she draws inspiration from the reigning 200-meter world champion, expressing the challenges she experiences as a track and field athlete.

Every path has its puddle

On Monday, Reid sat down for a quick interview with her fellow track and field Olympian, Fitzroy Dunkley, and the two discussed her athletic career. On being asked about her idol and who she looks up to in the track and field realm, the youngster replies, Shericka Jackson. In a particular segment, Dunkley asks the two-time NACAC U18 champion whether she perceives any expectations or pressure from the Jamaican or track and field community.

To which she replies, “Honestly, no, I know what I’m capable of doing. For me to remain humble and just keep pushing no matter the circumstances that I’m facing.” She also added that her main aim is to stay focused and remain humble. Living by those words, the Jamaican has achieved some significant milestones in her career at such a young age.

Reid has won the Pan American U20 Championship title, is a one-time Pan American U20 Championships silver medalist, and is a one-time World U20 Championships bronze medalist. However, Sprinter also had an alternative plan in mind if track and field had not worked out for her.

Seeking diversity beyond track and field

When questioned about what she would choose if not athletics, she states that she would have been doing football, and she further adds that her father was a footballer and her mother was a nice tennis player, so it would have been any of the two sports that she would pursue as a career path. When the runner is not busy with her track and field endeavors, she keeps herself busy on her YouTube channel.

On her channel, Reid keeps her fans updated by giving them a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her personal and professional life. She says that the idea behind starting YouTube was to not limit herself, and she wanted to open her space for her fans with certain limits to it. She also wants her fans to keep updated about what goes on in the life of a track and field athlete.

Read More: Track Insider Hints Tension Rising Between Sha’Carri Richardson and Alana Reid Ahead of the Olympics