UW INVITE MEET INFO | LIVE RESULTS

MOSCOW, Idaho – The Idaho track and field team heads to Seattle for the UW Invitational this weekend, with action beginning on Friday and concluding on Saturday.
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Growing up on the Eastern Caribbean island of Anguilla, Rechelle Meade did not have access to athletic trainers.

"I didn't even know athletic trainers existed," said Meade.

Her discovery when she arrived at the University of Idaho not only allowed the jumper to begin to compete without pain and improve her form, but it also gave her a goal for what she wants to do after she finishes competing.

Meade is in the MSAT program at Idaho, working to get her master's degree in athletic training. Once she gets her degree, which is internship based, and finishes competing in track and field, Meade plans to return to Anguilla and work as an athletic trainer. She will be filling a hole on the island, helping young athletes, who cannot afford expensive physical therapists, to be able to get healthy in order to compete at their best.

"I competed with two years of knee pain and I didn't know that wasn't normal," said Meade. "My freshman year was the most pain-free time I've ever competed up to that point. I could jump without my knee hurting and every year it's just gotten better."

As she's gotten healthier, Meade has been able to make changes to her form that her coaches ask for, resulting in drastic improvement as an athlete and allowing her to be more consistent. That consistency has led to multiple All-Big Sky Conference performances, including taking first in the long jump in the BSC Indoor Championships last season. Meade currently has the top mark in the event in the Big Sky Conference for this season. She still believes she has room for improvement and that she will "jump the jumps that are waiting to come out."

Also helping her improve in her sport has been her ability to be true to her authentic Anguilla self all the way in Idaho. When she first arrived in Moscow, she recognized her accent as a barrier to communication, and barely spoke to anyone besides calling home whenever possible.

"I eventually tried to assimilate into my surroundings," said Meade, "but it was draining and I was always exhausted."

Meade finally began to be comfortable and honest with who she is, allowing her to make better friends. She loves to dance and can be seen doing so at practice and at competitions, sometimes to music from home that she'll play at practice.

"Anguillians are very honest people so my team always knows how I feel. I think they appreciate me being myself."

Meade recognizes some changes that are slowly arriving back home. Before coming to Idaho, the only strength training she had done was with a beat-up, hand-me-down weight rack at the dirt track where she practiced. Gyms cost money, which most youth athletes cannot afford on the island. But now, people are starting to have pride in their Anguillian athletes, and gyms are letting competitors in to train for free.

Meade is excited to eventually return home to help catalyze even more change, working as an athletic trainer and helping Anguillians to compete at their best. Plus, she'll get to eat fried fish with fried plantains – her favorite meal – to her heart's content.  
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Check back with GoVandals.com after the meet for the full recap and results.
 
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