Danielle James: Product of Mavis Bank Track Club
By Dania Bogle
Danielle James has had some real success in the year since she has joined the Mavis Bank Track Club.
The 24-year-old has already won two 5 kilometre road races in 2013 in the Race for Hope Series in Jamaica. James did not enter a third after suffering an injury during the first and was recovering for some time.
The athlete competed in the 1500m at Jamaica Senior Championships in June but was not satisfied with her finish- fifth.
“I was very nervous,” she told MilesplitJa. “My time wasn’t that good because I just came off a bad injury. I got the injury during a 5K at Hope Gardens. I won but then I felt this pain coming on and it affected my hamstring and I went to the doctor and had to undergo therapy. “
James is one of several athletes in the Mavis Bank Track Club who have been doing well since coming under the tutelage of coach Devon Grant.
Athletes such as Robin Rowe, Kemar Leslie, and Garfield Gordon have been winning several races in the road race circuit in Jamaica.
However, after several false starts, James is now at home still searching for employment.
James started out in the sprints but switched on the direction of her coach: “I didn’t like it at first. I was into sprinting but the more I ran the coach said distance is my thing and so I just did it,” she explained.
James will now be aiming to lower her times in the 800m and 1500m, to clock below two minutes and four minutes respectively. James and her other teammates in the MBTC will be heading to the Reggae Marathon in December.
“I just love running and I would like to reach far in it. I would like to make it to the Olympics,” she declared.