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An Olympic hopeful for the 2012 London Games

Phylicia George is a Canadian of Grenadian parents who wants to become a medical doctor. Before entering medical school, however, she has a big feat she wants to accomplished: Phylicia wants to participate in the 2012 London Olympics, even if it means wearing Grenada’s red, green and gold national colours.

Phylicia, daughter of Paul and Glenna George of St. George’s, will soon graduate from the University of Connecticut, where she is senior captain of the school’s track and field team.

Among her immediate family members are not only mother and father, but also a brother studying Information Technology at Ryerson University in Toronto, and three sisters. One of the three teaches in South Korea, another is in the United States and the third lives in Canada.

“Phylicia’s achievement in both the academic and athletics’ fields has been great joy to all of us parents, sibling, relatives and friends,’’ said her father Paul “Paulo’’ George, a former River Road resident.

Mr. George, speaking from Toronto to Grenadian journalist Lincoln Toro Depradine, said: “I recall on one of our visits to Grenada while I was thinking of the beach, fruits and sun, Phylicia was more interested in getting permission to do her regular training in the old stadium at Queen’s Park. To say that I am extremely proud of her will be putting it slightly. Phylicia’s accomplishments have made me one the happiest dads around.’’

Glenna George, formerly Glenna Louison of Mt. Moritz, is also joyous at her daughter’s success.

“I know how dedicated my daughter is to her running,’’ she said.

Krishna Scully, a staff writer with The Daily Campus of the University of Connecticut, recently featured Phylicia George in an issue of the newspaper. The feature, which is reproduced below, was headlined: “UConn track star taking life one hurdle at a time.’’

By Krishna Scully

Staff Writer

The UConn women’s track and field team has talent across the board, but one athlete has taken the spotlight and has made her mark on the track. Senior captain Phylicia George is a physiology and neurobiology major, a sister, a friend, a teammate and a dominant track and field athlete who has proven herself worthy time and time again in the eyes of her coaches, teammates and, most importantly, herself.

Unsurprisingly, George became who she is today thanks to the guiding hands of her parents. “My parents are my foundation,” George said. “They are my biggest supporters. They keep me grounded and are there for me whenever I need them.”

George was born in Toronto, but her parents were born in Grenada, so she grew up with a strong Caribbean culture. She was raised with three older sisters and a twin brother whom she spent a lot of her childhood playing games with. She was a tomboy and her mom had to beg her to wear a dress. She would play football with the guys at recess, so running came naturally.

After playing basketball in high school, George decided to take up track and field. “I just love track and field,” she said. “I’m not sure if I could say exactly what it is about the sport, but I love it. I’m so passionate about it. I like the individual aspect of it, of just being out on the track and it’s you against everyone else. There is a certain thrill to competing one on one with someone and winning races. I also think track is a sport that allows you to really test your limits and to discover what you’re capable of.”

George started competing in track and field in 9th grade but her first few years in high school weren’t the best. She didn’t run well until her last year of high school. “I think I enjoyed the social aspect of the sport more than the actual working hard part, but at some point I realized that I had some potential and I got more serious about it. My main goal was to get a scholarship to go to school in the [US],” George said. “My last year of high school was pretty much a breakout year for me. I was provincial champion in the 100 meter hurdles and 200 meter dash. I also made a national team and competed for Canada at the World Junior Championships in Beijing.”

The jog from running in high school turned into an all-out sprint in college as the transition proved to be rough. During George’s freshman year, she felt frustrated and homesick because training and the level of competition were so much more intense than anything she was used to. “The main thing that sticks out about freshman year was the fact that I didn’t make it into any finals at the Big East Championships, indoor or outdoor. I swore to myself that would never happen again.”

“I’ve definitely doubted myself many times. Track has been an emotional rollercoaster for me, as it is with many track athletes,” George said. “It’s a hard sport and you have to work really hard to be good. It’s difficult to go through demanding workouts five days a week and then go to meets and get beat. It really does a number on your confidence. Luckily, I stuck with it. I have an amazing coach, coach Terrelonge, who has helped me develop into the athlete that I am now. My mentality is totally different and failure just isn’t an option anymore. I really believe that it’s been the rough patches in my track career that have given me the desire and the determination to do well.”

George’s sophomore year was much better. She was better adjusted to the environment and saw a lot of improvement in every event that she competed in. At the indoor Big East Championship, George was in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdle and 200-meter dash finals; she was more than satisfied with the turn around, being able to score points and contributing to the team. At the outdoor Big East Championship, she came third in the 100-meter hurdles and fourth in the 200-meter dash.

George’s junior year was a key year in terms of progression. She started to set her goals high and looked more toward seriously competing at the national level. After proving herself on the track and finally making the national list, George was faced with an unfortunate setback.

“I pulled my hamstring at Big East. The rest of the indoor season was done and I had a really hard time getting back into form for the outdoor season in my individual events,” George said. “However, I did run on the 4x100m relay, which broke the school record and went to the NCAA Championships. My senior year has started out great and I’m just hoping to continue with the momentum I’m building.”

“Phylicia passionately loves track and field,” said Trisha-Ann Hawthorne, a friend and teammate. “She has a goal to be a champion. A champion to some people might mean just getting to Big East and nationals, but to Phylicia it’s much more. She works hard every day in practice to become a national champion and a professional athlete. Phylicia is very easygoing, funny, smart, and focused. She is truly a lifetime friend. She means a lot to the team as one of the captains because she portrays leadership. I can speak for the team as a whole when I say that she’s a great athlete who only strives to be the best.”

“I’ve been very fortunate to have such a great coach, coach Terrelonge,” said George. “He is very knowledgeable and passionate about the sport. He was an astounding athlete, a world champion and Olympian. He’s dedicated countless hours to working with me and helping me progress. He has helped me develop physically and mentally. He’s a one of a kind coach who shows such a genuine interest in his athletes. There has never been a doubt in my mind how much he cares. I also think he’s taught me so many life lessons that I will definitely carry with me later in life. Coach Morgan, the head coach, has also played a huge role, even though he doesn’t coach me directly. He has worked so hard to develop the team to the level that it is now. He has great expectation for all of us and that has really helped me to strive for the best.”

Through her hard work on and off the track, George has become a model athlete. Setting her goals high this season, George has already checked off breaking the school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.32 seconds.

“I was excited to finally break the school record that I have been chasing for a long time now,” George said. “I know I have a lot more in me, so I’m looking forward to seeing that record time drop down even lower. Track and school take up the majority of my time, but I have aspirations of becoming a doctor so when I have time I shadow doctors and volunteer at a hospital.”

With little spare time, George likes reading and watching movies, and of course, taking care of homework – but with a bright future in mind, it’s right back to the track. She gets her inspiration from people who have accomplished a lot in their lives and from people who have taken risks chasing their dreams and have succeeded. George plans to run professionally after college. Her goal is to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London, but she only plans to run for two years after college and then sees herself attending medical school.

“Some of the things that standout the most is just being part of developing the UConn track and field team into a nationally recognized team,” George said. “I love the fact that I’ve seen my teammates and I grow and get better. I loved sharing the excitement of winning back to back Big East Championships and I loved learning about being ranked 13th in the nation last year, our highest ever. I’ve built such great friendships with my teammates. It just has been an amazing experience.”

As for the immediate future, George plans on taking it one hurdle at a time.

Attached photo is Phylicia George

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