Story Links
March 26, 2003
By: Fourth-year Leonard Newman
As their final year at the University come to a close, several fourth years reflect on their experiences with UVa track and field. They reflect on how they got started, who has been an influence, and their experiences being a student-athlete. Fourth years Jane Maxwell, a middle distance runner from Charlotte, North Carolina, Kiamesha Otey, a sprinter and jumper from Quinton, Virginia, Vika Osipenko, a pole vaulter and multi-event athlete from Mechanicsville, Virginia, and graduate student Carielle Doe, a sprinter from Reston, Virginia, respond to these questions and more.
When did you first become interested in track and field?
Otey: I was about 8 or 9 years old and my Physical Education teacher entered me in the Hershey National track meet. I ended up making it to Nationals and winning the 50-Meter dash. I have basically been running track ever since. After than summer my mom got me involved with a summer track club called the West End Striders; I ran with them for about five summers.
Doe: When I was 7, my family moved back to my parents’ birthplace, Liberia. I went to an international school where I didn’t know any of the kids. During my first week there, I learned that the kids raced each other all the time. Everyone knew that Linda, the school bully, was the fastest girl in school. So when I raced her the first time and almost beat her, I became known as the “fast girl.” Soon I could beat Linda and everyone else (boys and girls) at school, so that’s how I started running.
What made you want to run for Virginia?
Maxwell: I didn’t really know much about the Virginia program, but UVa seemed like a great place. After I was accepted, I went to the track office one day and basically asked if I could run on the team if I decided to attend the University. I told Randy, the head coach, that I wanted to run in college, but I wasn’t sure if I was good enough. He had me fill out a form, and later Buz, who was the distance coach at the time, called and told me I could be part of the team.
Doe: I decided to run for Virginia after a LOT of praying and deliberating. It seemed like Randy had more heart than the other coaches did and was also more straightforward. It just felt right at UVa. Looking back I’m SO glad I decided to come here; Randy’s a great coach and I love my teammates.
Who has been your biggest influence?
Osipenko: My dad has probably been my biggest influence in track. He was a pole-vaulter himself and has always supported me fully, going as far as becoming my coach to help me be the best I can be.
Maxwell: I guess my dad was my biggest influence. He played football here in the early 70’s. He always encouraged us in all of our athletic endeavors. He’s the one who first introduced me to running.
Doe: I think I have two major influences in terms of track. My first is the fact that I’m a Christian, and I feel like being a good teammate and athlete and hard worker is what I’m supposed to do. I also find strength in that because I know that if I’m having a hard workout, I can always pray and see that God is right there with me. I think that if I was blessed with this gift, I need to show my thanks by working my hardest. My other influence was definitely Burney Bachelor. He was a volunteer coach here. I didn’t really come into my own as a runner at UVa until my third year here, but even before that, Burney was always telling me how great I was and how fast I was going to be. That helped so much, it was like having my own cheerleader! He also told me a few things that how I approached my race. IN the fall of 2001 I used to practice late because of a class. Burney would stay outside with me after everyone had gone in, and we really became good friends. When Burney died of a heart attack in October 2001, I was crushed. No one that close to me had ever died before. I try to work really hard in track no because I know he would want me to.
Otey: I think that my biggest influence has to be Wilma Rudolph. I must have read her story and watched the movie of her life a hundred times. The type of things that she had to overcome as a child and adult were just amazing to me. Growing up I wanted to be just like her and win; I still do actually.
What is it like to be a student-athlete at UVa?
Doe: It’s hard to be a student-athlete for a few reasons. Other students AND teachers don’t respect you. There have been some classes where I’ve hidden the fact that I was an athlete because I didn’t want teachers to judge me. Other students think we get tutors to do our work for us and that we don’t belong here. It’s really ridiculous. If anything, we should get respect for balancing school and Division I athletics. Most people couldn’t do what we do.
Otey: It’s really tough being a student-athlete here. My first semester was horrible; I didn’t really know what to expect and I got a really rude awakening. The workload is hard to balance at times; it’s harder to try to manage your time especially when we are in season. Being gone on the weekends really cuts down the time you have to get work done.
Osipenko: I don’t think being a student-athlete is particularly hard. The hardest thing, I think, is missing class because you miss important material. But overall, I have to say that it has taught me to manage my time much more efficiently. In fact, when I happen to have a day off from practicing, I notice myself to waste much more time than when I spend a few hours at the track.
Maxwell: As a student-athlete, you really have to learn to prioritize, organize, and learn to say no. It’s a lot like going to school and simultaneously having a pretty demanding job. In addition to the time constraints, as a student-athlete, there’s always the struggle to make sure you’re taking care of yourself so that you can perform when the time comes. I’ve always had good experiences with professors here. They’ve always been quite accommodating.
What advice do you have for someone interested in participating in track and field as a sport?
Otey: If it is something that you really want to do, then go for it and be dedicated, and remain focused on what it is that you want to do with the sport.
Doe: You should try your hardest and then some. Track has really taught me that my breaking point is a lot farther than I think it is, and I’ve learned to push myself past what I think my breaking point is. I’d also say that they really need to know it’s HARD. Practice is hard, juggling school and track is hard. If you want to run track you really have to be mentally strong.
Osipenko: I think the best advice for someone wanting to participate in track and field is to be persistent. You have to have the dedication and drive in order to succeed. Often you have to put in many hours of training to improve just a little bit; it can be discouraging, but I think in the end your efforts will pay off.
Maxwell: Track and field is a great sport. It’s different because it’s coed and there are so many of us who travel. You’re pretty much guaranteed a cheering squad at ever meet, and you learn to really appreciate how hard everyone works to be competitive in whatever area they specialize in. There’s a great sense of community and commeradie among us.