Crystal double majors in academics and athletics

CRYSTAL Skeete has a vision 2008 — to participate at the Beijing Olympics. This hero of the school system is a proud Tobagonian who is excelling in both academics and athletics. A well rounded and focused individual, Crystal is a Form Six A student at the Bishop’s High School, Tobago pursuing courses in English Literature, Chemistry, Biology, Geography and General Paper. Her professional aim is becoming a paediatric cardiologist. In 2004 she copped awards for excellence in the areas of GP and Geography and earned second place in a newspaper essay competition. She has ten CXC passes.

In the field of athletics, Crystal stands out. She became involved because she “ran wherever I went and at 11 years in primary school, my physical education teacher told me I could run.” Taking his word, when she entered Bishop’s she took part in the school’s sports and won the 100 and 200 metre events. She again acted on the advice of teachers and joined a sports club. Her “pet” distance is usually the 400 metre events, but she enjoys the 400 metre hurdles and has run 200 and 800 metre distances. Crystal’s most memorable event was participating in the 4x400 metre relay at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Barbados, which the team won and set an under-17 time of three minutes forty one point eight three seconds.

At the games in Trinidad the team won silver. Crystal was also the recipient of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Youth Excellence Award for Sport last year, the TT Olympic Committee’s Sport and Academic Personality in 2003 and her school’s cross country champion for three consecutive years. She said she trains three to five times a week, incorporating endurance and speed training. Her love of the hurdles however sees her doing special practice sessions to “master my technique” and weight training.

Outside the academics and athletics, Crystal is the community service chairman of the Interact Club of southwest Tobago, the Sabbath School and Communications Secretary of the Canaan SDA church and the deputy head girl at Bishop’s. So what motivates this youth to do so much? Crystal says she “continuously strives for excellence because I know I have not yet attained my full potential and I continuously push myself further.” As for being successful in all aspects of her life, she says it is all about “sacrifice” to excel. Her future plans includes studying to be a paediatric cardiologist and running in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. To her detractors she says, “some think I cannot do both, but my life has always been a double major and I know I can do both.”