Kimbely Baptiste is top of the list when it comes to Sussex AA rankings with county records over both the 100m and 200m. The Crawley AC athlete has medalled at the British Indoor and Outdoor Championships and last year was number 11 in UK for the 100m. She is a sprint force to be reckoned with.
Kate Matthews caught up with her to chat about her background in the sport, training and dealing with changes following isolation and Coronavirus.
Kate: Who are you?
Kim: I’m 27 years old and currently living in Abu Dhabi where I work as a Sports Coordinator. I've always run for Crawley AC and I've self-coached for four years now.
Kate: What are your favourite distances/disciplines?
Kim: Relays! I love watching and taking part in relays. The 100m and 200m are my races but I enjoy watching the majority of events.
Kate: How did you get into athletics?
Kim: I started in 2005, my then step dad signed me up to Crawley AC after I beat him in a race at the park! I’ve always competed in the short distances; 60m, 75m, 100m, 150m, 200m. Never wanted to touch anything further than 200m! I did try long jump once during a StarTrack Academy but I stuck to sprinting.
Kate: What do you love/hate about the sport?
Kim: I love the community of Track and Field, the family and connections you make from the sport. I love how we all celebrate each others victories, even if we are rivals. Track and field is made up of individual events but everyone becomes your team mate, your supporter. What I dislike is that there are clear favourites when it comes to making teams and getting funding.
Kate: What has kept you in it?
Kim: In around 2008 to 2010, I took two years out. I did one or two competitions, but I wasn't training and didn’t take competing seriously. At the time I didn’t know why I'd stopped, until I started training with a new group. I realised that training before just wasn’t hard enough and my teammates mostly went to socialise. I'd been a total introvert as a kid and my secondary school P.E. teacher, Mrs Reynolds nagged and nagged me to get back into track and I thank her so much for it!
Kate: What is your proudest athletics moment?
Kim: Retaining the 100m and 200m Manchester International titles, I wasn’t having the best season timewise but holding on to both titles was great.
Kate: What has been the toughest moment?
Kim: The present lockdown/social distancing and trying to find the motivation to keep training and stick to a routine. I've had to adjust my training plan to cater for track closures and gyms. It’s even harder being out in Abu Dhabi as there are very few grass areas.
Kate: How often do you train (in normal times)?
Kim: I train 5 days a week, 3 sessions on the track and 2 sessions in the gym. I am still sticking to this training schedule. Sunday, Tuesday and Friday are my conditioning/speed/sports specific training, wall drills, resistance band drills, technical drills, speed work (I usually use the pavement or drive to a park that’s open). Monday and Wednesdays are my strength and power days incorporating plyometrics, jump circuits and strength based work.
Kate: Have you had any bad injuries and how did you deal with these?
Kim: I've never suffered from any major injuries *touch wood*, I have had niggles here and there, with some worse than others.
Kate: Other than actual achievements/PBs, what has athletics brought to your life?
Kim: Track and field has given me skills that I use today in my working life. I've made great friendships that I will cherish forever! I’ve met amazing, talented, mentally strong and beautiful people in terms of mind, body and soul.
Kate: What's your best athletics memory?
Kim: It’s between winning silver at the 2016 British Athletics Indoor Champs in the 200m and placing 4th in the 200m at the 2017 British Athletics Outdoor Champs.
Kate: What would you say to younger people wanting to get started?
Kim: I would say try as many events as they can, see which fits best, what they enjoy the most, not to set limits and most of all have fun!
Kate: What would you change about the sport?
Kim: More indoor facilities in the UK, because the weather is not outdoor friendly the majority of the year. Also a highly competitive college/university track circuit, like the NCAA in America.
Kate: How do you juggle training/competitions around work?
Kim: Being organised, prioritising what’s important and also the ability to be flexible. Being self coached helps as I’m able to change my training times around to suit my work schedule/me and not feel like I’m missing out training with team mates/coach.
Kate: Who's your favourite athlete (past or present)?
Kim: The USA 200m/400m runner Allyson Felix! There are so many but it's Felix hands down.
Kate: Any other favourites i.e. food, music?
Kim: I love food, and thoroughly enjoy cooking! I enjoy listening to music and always have something playing in the background. I’m a fan of many sports, love cricket which stems from my West Indian heritage and I love basketball.
Kate: How are you managing to keep fit/train during Corona?
Kim: I’m lucky that I have a very big apartment with lots of space to jump around. What’s really helped me to stay motivated is having a workout schedule and plan for the week written down. If I’m still struggling I tell my friends and that kicks in my intrinsic motivation as I feel more accountable. If this doesn’t work, find a workout buddy that’ll help keep your motivation in check.