Guyana’s 2002 Common-wealth Games women’s 400-metre gold medalist Aliann Pompey could add academic `gold’ to her list of credentials in May, providing she acquires US$8500.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport yesterday Pompey said she is due to graduate from the Manhattan College, USA, with a masters degree in Business Administration (concentration on finance) in May but needs funds to pay for her final semester.
The soft spoken athlete, who won Guyana’s first Commonwealth Games athletic gold medal after a 68-year drought, said initially, she needed US$16,000 to complete her final year at college, but she was fortunate to get a loan for almost half the amount.
She said while she has not repaid the loan in full, she has applied once more for a further loan to ensure she graduates come May.
“The paper work is still to be completed,” she declared.
Pompey, who returns to the USA tomorrow, said she will try to get a job in her field (administration/finance) and one which will allow her to work and still train. “The hard part is finding something that I can work and still run,” Pompey lamented.
She said she will probably have to settle for a part time teaching job.
Guyana’s 2002 Sportswoman of the Year is home as guest of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and will be a special guest at tonight’s GOA Annual Appreciation Ceremony at the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel.
She is due to be back in competition in another week at the world famous Madison Square Garden. The meet is an indoor one on a 160-metre wooden indoor track and Pompey is not sure how she will fare.
“I’m not too good with the turns on small tracks, my stride is too long so it will be difficult, it will throw me off a bit. It’s not my favourite track, but the person who gets out first can win the race,” Pompey said.
Asked how soon she plans to get into the outdoor, Pompey said wile she has already started to train outdoors, she will probably start the (outdoor) season in June.
According to Pompey starting outdoor competition in early June will not affect her preparations for the Pan American Games, scheduled for Santo Domingo in August. “I’m training (outdoors) all the time but just not competing,” she stated.
Pompey said she has her eyes set on the World Championships in Birmingham, England in March this year and has already made the qualifying standard.
Asked what else she has planned for the indoor season, Pompey said she was not certain. “If I do something good in the 400-metre (fast time) I wouldn’t have problems getting into other meets,” Pompey said.
She explained that to get into good meets, one has to return good times, because the meet directors do not want to spend money on bringing an athlete for a meet and that athlete performs poorly.