Amery Roberts has been dominating his track and field events of late and the athletic wonder is looking to continue it heading into provincials.
Track and field has always been a passion for Roberts. "I started track and field in grade five. Our school didn't have very many athletes, so I joined the grade seven/eight program when I was in grade five. After COVID, I was out of it for a bit, and after joining long distance for a while, I kind of drifted in and out of events. Now, I'm pretty stuck to discus, javelin and triple jump. I've been doing that for three years."
What stands out to Roberts about being in so many sports is that whatever happens, it's all on him. "The thing I love about track and field is that it's singular events, you rely on yourself and it's up to you whether you win or not. I like that because when you do win, it feels really good."
As an athlete, Roberts says he's always been competitive and has always pushed himself. "I've played a lot of sports since I was really young. I've really built up that competitive nature through the years."
Being a three-sport athlete in track and field has shown the mental strength of Roberts, something he says he's working on all the time. "It's a little bit nerve racking doing those events because it's just all on yourself. Years of doing sport have given me the tools to be in a good mental space, lock in and focus, then do what I've trained to do."
Roberts says he's put in the work to excel in discus, javelin but triple jump came a little easier to him given his background. "I had to work a lot for the skills I have. As far as track and field, it comes more naturally because I do a lot of jumping. I play volleyball, soccer and basketball, so triple jump came pretty naturally to me. Discus I had to work the hardest at because there was so much to the technique that I was unfamiliar with."
Recently at a meet in Selkirk, Roberts says he got to compare where he's at with some of the other top athletes in the province. "It was really cool to see. I got to compete with some of the best in Manitoba. It's the biggest meet there is, so it was so cool to go out and win triple jump, finish third in javelin and first in discus."
Those places in an event like Selkirk are a huge boost to the confidence, according to Roberts. "I'm really looking forward to building off of it as we go to provincials. I for sure want to finish top three. I've finished top three in the last two years and I'm looking for better placing than that this year. I hope I can do well."
While it's an individual sport, track and field athletes always support one another, something that Roberts cherishes. "It's so great," he says with a smile. "My grade nine, ten and eleven years, I didn't have a lot of friends that did track and field. This year, I talked to a bunch of buddies and convinced them to do track and field. Now, I get to train with friends and they really push me to to do better."
Roberts made sure to point out another driving force in his track and field career. "Mr. (Al) Wirth has been huge for me, he's been one of my biggest supporters for many seasons."
As he gets ready for provincials, Roberts says doing well for his school and his community would mean a lot to him. "I take a lot of pride in representing my area. I've been playing sports for the community of Winkler my whole life, to bring something home from provincials would be something I'd be very proud of."