Track and field star Kemi Omoleye is coming off an impressive showing at her latest event and the star athlete is looking to keep building for the upcoming provincials.
Looking back, Omoleye recalls being pretty set against the sport she would eventually come to love. "I always liked doing (track and field) but for specifically throwing events, I actually hated discus. Like, really hated it, so much. But, I did shotput in middle school and Mr. (Al) Wirth was the one who pushed me to do discus, even though I told him multiple times I didn't want to, but he finally got to me. So, I did it and it turns out I was pretty good at it."
Finding success in the discipline turned Omoleye's feelings about it all, at least a little bit. "At first, I was still pretty iffy about it, because it was something that I openly hated. Like, I said I would never, ever do it. What's the point? But after a while, Mr. Wirth convinced me to do it and it turned out to be pretty fun."
Now, Omoleye says she couldn't be more thankful to Mr. Wirth for being so persistent. "I'm so thankful, actually, because the regular distances I'm throwing are something that most average girls can't do. So, I'm very grateful that he did push me to do it."
Omoleye details her throwing style and how she gets ready for throws. "The first thing I do is, I step into the circle, I take my disc and I look out into the field. I just look out, into the middle, that's my goal, that's where I aim. I step to the back of the circle, I do my spin which is almost a 360 and I just let it fly."
As she started to take discus more seriously, Omoleye admits that it took some time for her to find her technique. "At first, it was hard to do my full turn. I found it that when I would stand and throw, it would go farther than when I would spin. Usually when you spin and throw, it should go farther than a standing throw, but it didn't for me. After a little bit of practice, I got the hang of it all."
Developing the skills and the passion, Omoleye says the mental side of things was next on her list of things to work on. "I was nervous at first, because there have been times where I'd throw the discus and it would go out or hit the bar, it'll foul out and it just makes you scared. But, one you step into the circle, all that goes away and your goal is to throw it as far as you can."
Recently, Omoleye was part of a big event, one where she did very well, as she explains. "My most recent meet was in Selkirk. Watching the other girls throw, I knew I could make at least top 5. I stepped into the circle, did what I usually do and I got first."
Always humble, Omoleye knows that the Selkirk meet was a big deal and finishing first is a big boost for her. "It boosted my confidence but I don't want it to boost me it up too high so it goes to my head. It really did feel good, though."
All the hard work, the hours of training and dedication are coming to a point for Omoleye where her sights are set on provincials. "I'm ready, especially since last year when I placed fourth, all the girls that were above me moved up, so I feel like I have a real chance at getting top three or top five at provincials. I'm very, very excited."
Track and field is known for it's large numbers and also it's caring community, something Omoleye deeply cherishes. "It's really meaningful to know that people are there cheering you on, even people that you don't know, they're just rooting for you to win. It's really nice."
Two things are true, a whole community is behind Kemi Omoleye as she looks to bring a provincial win home and if Al Wirth believes you can excel at something, you should listen, regardless of how passionate you may be against the idea at first, he seems to know what's best.