On The Line - Kelly Ann Baptiste ,Machel Cedenio, Keston Bledman & Jehue Gordon

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Robert takes a trip to Orlando to chat with Kelly Ann Baptiste, and a few of our other top track and field athletes in their preparations for Rio 2016.
Transcript
00:00 This episode of On The Line is brought to you courtesy the sports company of Trinidad and Tobago.
00:05 This time we're on the line with Kellyanne Bautista and Marshal Sidenio.
00:12 I've learnt a lot about the art of sprinting, so I'm going to show them exactly what I can do.
00:17 In every sport, there's a line.
00:29 All athletes put themselves on the line for club and country.
00:35 The sprint is a sport that combines the strength of the body with the speed of the mind.
00:40 The sprint is a sport that combines the strength of the body with the speed of the mind.
00:44 The sprint is a sport that combines the strength of the body with the speed of the mind.
00:48 The sprint is a sport that combines the strength of the body with the speed of the mind.
00:52 The sprint is a sport that combines the strength of the body with the speed of the mind.
00:56 The sprint is a sport that combines the strength of the body with the speed of the mind.
01:00 The sprint is a sport that combines the strength of the body with the speed of the mind.
01:04 Early morning, we're on our way to Orlando from Miramar to meet Kellyanne Bautista, Keston Bledman, Marshal Sidenio and hopefully J.U. Gordon as well.
01:18 It's a three and a half hour trip, so we'll be taking in some sights as we go along.
01:25 Road trip, come where we go.
01:28 Road trip, come where we go.
01:32 Road trip, come where we go.
01:36 Come where we go, where we take a road trip.
01:39 Well I'm leaving me home 'cause I done ready.
01:42 Ready to get on board, ready to see me friends.
01:45 I know much vibes that we going to have.
01:47 I hope every venue, every pet ready.
01:49 'Cause we come out to lock the place.
01:51 We're almost there.
01:53 [Music]
02:19 When you're in the lane, 'cause I know the 100 is a shorter distance, but especially in the 400, are you spending a lot of time focusing on staying in the lane?
02:29 I mean, I just stay in the lane 'cause they try to get us qualified.
02:31 Yeah.
02:32 I mean, they try to run as close as the inside as possible.
02:34 Just touching the line, even on the outside, if they catch you, that's disqualification.
02:38 It's a certain amount of times, yeah. You can't do it like a certain amount of times.
02:42 Long time Bledman, when Bledman back in the curve that day, so Bledman started and said, "Go!"
02:47 [Laughter]
02:51 I teach J.E. to start.
02:53 Me and J.E. was in Crystal Palace.
02:56 J.E. said, "The one you start so boy." I said, "Boy, you're gonna start now."
02:59 I said, "What you doing?" "J.E. doing so."
03:01 But I just start like this.
03:03 I said, "J.E. you just flex your hand, you pull him."
03:06 I said, "Eh, who teach you that, boy? That was Doc showing me."
03:09 But I know you did. Memphis, I think you know Memphis, I think they might be Polaris now.
03:13 It's that one year Bledman, I was supposed to get a good cut.
03:16 But you run for air.
03:17 Ball hamstring like this.
03:19 [Laughter]
03:21 What a big man!
03:23 How do you deal with the testosterone though?
03:25 In the sense that there's no...
03:27 I have headphones, I just tune them out with my headphones.
03:30 [Music]
03:41 Kelly's the... I'd say the ultimate professional.
03:46 She wants to be as good as she can be at everything that she does all the time.
03:50 Sometimes that's a very good trait, sometimes it's a little hard to deal with.
03:54 But it's just part of who she is.
03:58 There's nothing wrong with wanting to be great.
04:00 It's just making sure that every day you're checking your boxes
04:04 and you're making your progress like you're supposed to.
04:07 In terms of their readiness for Rio 2016 coming up, how are you feeling with their training?
04:13 It's still April, but training's going well.
04:17 We're going to start doing some races here soon, get a better idea of where everybody is from there.
04:21 But at the end of the day, there's only really two meets that matter,
04:25 and that's the championships in Trinidad to make the team and then the Olympic Games.
04:29 Everything we're doing now and going forward is getting ready for those two different weekends.
04:33 Coach, do you see medals in our future?
04:35 That's the whole reason we do this, so we better.
04:37 You guys all have different styles.
04:47 Everybody has a different style of what they coach, and I think here you reinforce more of hip movement,
04:55 keeping your hips up, keeping your toe up, getting that knee drive, engaging your glutes and stuff like that.
05:00 This first drill is pretty much that. It's a walking drill.
05:04 It's kind of like taking baby steps.
05:06 The key to this is keeping your hips up and making sure that when you land, you're not pointing down.
05:13 Because striking the track pointing down versus striking the track like that, it's a different power that's going into the track.
05:20 Is that when I see you guys doing this sort of fancy coordination thing?
05:23 Yeah, it's to keep your toe up so you can apply power to the track.
05:28 [Music]
05:36 Height has a lot to do with specific abilities that somebody has.
05:40 So, for example, Shellyann Fraser, you find that much shorter people have a very explosive start.
05:46 That's just what they're going to be gifted with.
05:48 I think that over time, that Cleafer is going to be the same way, given her height and her stature.
05:54 She's going to eventually become a really great starter because of how she's built.
05:58 She's shorter than I am, and I don't see her really growing.
06:01 So I can see her developing into a really great starter.
06:03 Whereas the taller people like...
06:04 You're more robust.
06:05 Yeah, I see it.
06:07 In sprinting, you don't want to land flat at all. That's dead weight.
06:12 On the ball.
06:13 So if you're too far forward, you tend to overreach and over-stride and land flat, and you're just taking a lot of time.
06:18 So for me personally, when I go down, I want to be a little bit forward, but not like this.
06:32 Like this, this is not something I can control.
06:34 Ready, set.
06:35 [Laughter]
06:49 I'm not even faking it.
06:52 It took a lot to beat her.
06:53 What you probably could have had is a cramp, and I've had those before.
07:02 A really intense cramp, and that could be because you're tight, or your muscles may not have been warm enough to actually go that speed.
07:10 You know what I mean?
07:11 So, yeah.
07:13 Exercise just to lighten?
07:15 You wouldn't really try to stretch on it much, to be honest.
07:17 You just try to...
07:18 Over-stretch it.
07:19 Yeah, don't try to over-stretch it. Just leave it.
07:21 Ice.
07:23 Ice.
07:24 So we do have to hit the ice bar.
07:25 You have to ice.
07:27 There we go, ice bar first.
07:29 This is after a hard workout.
07:32 This is the reward, Kelly says, we get for a hard workout.
07:35 Make sure the hamstrings are nice and rejuvenated.
07:39 And I actually have a real life injury.
07:42 Will you save me after the last two minutes?
07:44 At least.
07:46 At least three minutes.
07:48 One.
07:52 One and a half.
07:53 Yeah.
07:58 Two.
08:00 Three.
08:01 [SCREAMING]
08:03 [SCREAMING]
08:04 God!
08:05 [SCREAMING]
08:06 [LAUGHING]
08:08 Oh, God.
08:10 [LAUGHING]
08:11 [SCREAMING]
08:12 [LAUGHING]
08:18 This is as much as we have to go, right?
08:20 I mean, I'm supposed to go down, but I'm going to let my legs relax a little bit.
08:24 [GROANING]
08:26 Why do I talk myself into this?
08:29 Why don't you talk me into it?
08:32 Five.
08:34 Five seconds.
08:36 OK, you've got 40 seconds left.
08:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:42 Shit.
08:43 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:58 I've trained hard, you know.
09:01 I've done the ice bath.
09:03 Do you think I deserve something to eat now?
09:05 Yeah, I mean, food is like a form of recovery as well.
09:09 So you expend all that energy out there.
09:11 You need to put it back in.
09:12 So what are you suggesting?
09:14 Some carbs and some protein.
09:16 So a little rice and chicken.
09:18 I know there's Jamaican spot right down the street.
09:20 Good.
09:21 Definitely good.
09:22 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:28 What do you normally get?
09:32 Rice and chicken.
09:34 And a chicken.
09:35 Do you?
09:36 No.
09:37 You guys have rice and peas, right?
09:39 Can I have a jerk chicken meal?
09:43 Small.
09:44 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:47 Food is dumplings with anything.
09:49 Crab, mozza.
09:50 Crab, chicken.
09:51 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:00 Back in Orlando, you think everything's
10:05 going as planned for real?
10:07 I think so.
10:08 I'm just taking everything in stride, taking my time.
10:10 Not trying to look too far down the road.
10:12 I'm just taking it training day by day, moment by moment.
10:16 I think that's the best approach to going into a championship,
10:19 not to think too far down the road.
10:22 Do you get psyched out at all by any of your competitors?
10:26 I wouldn't say I get psyched out, but I get probably--
10:29 they keep me on edge.
10:33 I mean, on my toes, they're training.
10:34 We're training this concern.
10:35 And if you see during the season your competitors
10:37 are running certain times or whatever the case may be,
10:40 you're just aware of it.
10:41 And it keeps you motivated.
10:43 So you went from here in Claremont to Miramar
10:52 and back to Claremont.
10:53 What's the special factor in Claremont?
10:57 When I'm here, it's just away from everything.
10:59 I could come.
11:00 I could train.
11:01 And I wouldn't say not be bothered,
11:03 but it's just the environment.
11:05 I think that's a big thing.
11:06 Also having recovery methods within proximity,
11:10 like a puncturist, massage therapist, chiropractor,
11:13 all those things are really big for your recovery.
11:16 And so I think that's really one of the big things.
11:18 And also, I think being in a group environment,
11:21 there's Keston here, there's Machel here, J.U. is here.
11:24 And so having that type of camaraderie support
11:26 is really big for an athlete.
11:28 You've had a lot of ups and downs in your career.
11:31 What would you recall as maybe some of the most difficult times
11:34 where you really thought, should I still continue to do this?
11:37 And what picked you back up to continue flying the red, white, and black?
11:41 In 2013, when I had the suspension,
11:43 that was a really tough time for me.
11:44 But it also wanted me to get back in the sport and fight.
11:48 It gave me a different hunger because I just knew that I was blessed
11:51 with a talent and I was just a mishap.
11:53 And I really wanted to show the world that, hey, I can still run fast.
11:56 Whatever the situation happened, that's just a mistake.
12:00 And things that have happened, but I'm naturally fast.
12:02 I'm naturally talented.
12:04 And so I was so eager to get back out there and compete.
12:07 And I felt like I proved myself by staying off the sport for a year
12:11 and coming back and making it to the World Championship final.
12:13 And so I was--even though I didn't get a medal, weirdly enough,
12:16 that was probably one of my proudest accomplishments.
12:18 What really happened?
12:19 You know, there was a lot of skirting around it.
12:22 There was a B sample or an A sample, and the B sample was never tested.
12:25 What's your take on everything that happened?
12:29 In the simplest way, the simplest way I could put it
12:32 is that I was seeing a nutritionist.
12:35 He recommended some vitamins to me that he probably didn't take the time out
12:40 to really see what was in there that could have been on the ban list.
12:45 And I just ended up in a situation where of his negligence and my negligence,
12:49 I could say--because I can't really blame him because in the sport,
12:52 they're telling you that you're responsible for what goes into your own body.
12:54 So I had to--I would say that I wasn't vigilant enough
12:57 in doing my own research and my own studies
12:59 and ended up with a positive test, and that's really it.
13:02 The doctor told me that the products I was taking was all natural,
13:06 and obviously it wasn't, and I ended up with a suspension.
13:09 Do you feel that you got the support from Trinidad and Tobago
13:12 when this all went down?
13:14 Yeah, it definitely showed me that I had some real fans
13:17 and the country of Trinidad and Tobago was just 100% behind me.
13:20 So 2016, do you think you have something to prove,
13:23 not just for yourself, but to turn around 2012?
13:26 Yeah, I mean, 2012 was rough.
13:29 I remember walking back and crying because I was like,
13:32 "I can't believe I didn't get a medal."
13:34 But I believe 2016 is a great year.
13:39 I feel like if I have the experience now, and I've been there, done that before,
13:42 which a lot of people can't really say that,
13:45 so I'm ready for the challenge, and I'm really looking forward to it.
13:48 Of course, many people don't know that Kelly is an undergrad in psychology.
13:54 But you said there was a toss-up after you hung up your boots
13:58 between psychology and health and fitness.
14:01 Yeah.
14:02 What are you siding more to?
14:05 I don't know, it's hard because I like health and fitness.
14:08 I actually like doing Pilates.
14:10 Pilates is something I love doing, and I always thought about,
14:13 "I probably could be a Pilates instructor."
14:15 And I like health stuff. I like to juice. I like to eat healthy.
14:20 That's just something I like doing.
14:22 I like that, but I also like helping people on an emotional level.
14:26 Maybe it's because I know I could come to the issue that I know as a person
14:32 that I've struggled with confidence and self-esteem and stuff like that
14:36 in my own abilities.
14:39 For me, though I had encouragement, it took, to me, proving to myself
14:44 through performances and stuff to get to the point where I am.
14:46 But if I could help somebody, before you even get to that point,
14:49 just have confidence in yourself, then I feel like if I'll be doing
14:53 a great deal of justice.
14:55 So what is it people don't know about Kelly Amatis?
14:59 I don't think I've ever really shared confidence issues before
15:03 with any reporter, but I grew up, I would say, feeling outcasted a lot.
15:11 I grew up as somebody who was teased in school and stuff like that,
15:17 and it was really hard, and track was my real escape.
15:20 I always wanted to use track, especially for young females.
15:24 It's hard for a female to really have self-confidence,
15:31 and sometimes it's easy to go look for it in other things,
15:34 whether it's partying, boys, whatever the case may be.
15:38 I really wanted to use my athletic ability to help females,
15:43 to show them that it's okay to have confidence in yourself,
15:49 and that it doesn't matter what background you come from.
15:53 I didn't grow up in the wealthiest of environments.
15:58 I believe that once you have a strong mind, once you have faith,
16:02 that anyone can make it.
16:04 You don't have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth.
16:06 You just have to find something that you're relentless about,
16:09 that you love.
16:10 I remember when I used to go to practice,
16:12 and people used to ask me, "I'm crazy. Why are you going to practice?"
16:15 Ultimately, I would say that I really want to win an Olympic gold medal.
16:19 But to be honest, if I were to just be on the podium in an individual event--
16:24 I'm not even talking about really in an individual event--
16:26 if I were to be on the podium as an Olympic medalist,
16:30 I wouldn't be able to contain myself.
16:31 That would be something that--
16:33 I wouldn't be able to contain myself.
16:39 This is your first Olympics. How's that feeling?
16:43 It is exciting for me, being there for the first time,
16:47 and not being able to compete.
16:49 I'm really looking forward to going to this Olympics,
16:52 enjoying myself, and making my country proud.
16:55 So, Nationals last year was a bit of a disappointment for you.
16:59 There was all that fanfare, and then moments later you found out
17:02 you went to Renegades.
17:04 How did you bring yourself back from that and continue to forge forward
17:07 and continue being a Martial Sedan?
17:08 Well, you know, in life, you have obstacles in front of you.
17:12 It's the way you deal with them.
17:14 I think I dealt with mine in the right way.
17:17 I put it in the past, I move on, I went to the Pan Am Games,
17:20 and got a silver.
17:22 So I didn't really dwell too much on the mistakes I made in the past.
17:26 I just keep moving forward and keep pushing.
17:29 What's the realistic goal that you've set yourself for Rio?
17:32 I could see myself going to Rio, making the finals, with a blank mind.
17:37 I'm going to blank out all my competitions around me, all the hype,
17:41 I'm just going to go in there and give it my 100%,
17:44 and wherever my 100% gets me, I'll turn gold and I'll take it.
17:48 The camaraderie that I've seen so far in the camp--Kester, J. Hugh, Kelly--
17:54 are they helping you towards Rio, in the sense that preparing you
18:00 for what to expect at Rio?
18:02 Yeah, you know, to have a contingent here, it's really satisfying
18:06 to know that we are a small island with so much talent.
18:10 So with half the talent being here, there's just four athletes we just call,
18:14 and they're being there, we all motivate each other and push each other
18:17 because we're doing this for our country.
18:19 We're making a sacrifice out here, living on our own,
18:22 waking up every morning, going to practice.
18:24 So it's like a big camp with all different countries,
18:28 and at the end of the day, it's only your country you can represent.
18:31 I'm not going to represent my adidas camp or my coach,
18:34 I'm going to represent my country and myself.
18:36 So it's a really nice feeling to see yourself and other training athletes out there
18:42 because we all put in the work together, we all try to make our country proud.
18:46 If you read the most successful people, they all have a story that goes behind the name.
18:51 So I don't mind the sacrifice I made throughout my life,
18:56 so I'm in a happy spot, I'm glad where I am today, so it's all paying off.
19:00 Back in 2010 is when I made my first career,
19:03 and I think I just did the 4x4 there.
19:09 That was my first regional international competition,
19:15 and that motivated me, that showed me that this is a career I don't mind making for myself.
19:21 And throughout the years, I just keep growing in the sport.
19:25 I made the Olympics when I was 16 years old, and I wasn't granted the opportunity to compete.
19:29 How did you dig yourself from that moment, that disappointment then?
19:34 I didn't really dwell on it too much, I went back with an open mind.
19:38 I said everything happened for a reason, God maybe had a plan.
19:42 I went back to the drawing board, I corrected a lot of stuff.
19:46 My attitude towards the sport, my attitude in training, my attitude off the track.
19:50 I was still young, I was still partying, I was still talking on the phone late at night.
19:57 That was the point in my life where I said, this is the time to get serious.
20:02 That was when I really settled into the sport, and had a big man mentality.
20:08 A lot of times I wanted to give up all of this, and just go back home and have fun with my friends.
20:13 But I talked to my mum, I have a really close relationship with my mum.
20:18 She makes sure I am focused.
20:23 As a young athlete in a grown man sport, I tend to lose a lot of focus a lot of times.
20:30 The people I keep around me really push me and motivate me to keep going to the top and keep climbing and not to go back.
20:38 What's the one thing you think most of all I'm looking forward to, first thing I want to do when I reach the Rio?
20:43 The biggest thing I'm looking forward to in Rio is going out there with the whole Trini contingent.
20:49 Everyone who put in their sacrifice, put in their work and make it to the Olympics.
20:54 Which is almost everyone's highest level of any sporting event.
20:59 It's a really good feeling to go there, would be a really good feeling to go there to the opening ceremony and wear my country colours.
21:05 Marshall, final question. What would you say is your biggest sacrifice?
21:10 Coming from a home where I have two parents.
21:13 From me moving from a home with two parents, to me moving here and living on my own.
21:16 That was a big sacrifice for me. I had to learn how to cook, I had to learn how to clean, I had to learn how to see about myself.
21:23 I had to adapt to a whole new lifestyle when I came up here.
21:26 To me it was a good thing, I didn't mind adapting to somebody else's culture.
21:33 It was a learning experience for me as well.
21:36 Every day I'm learning new stuff about the United States of America, I'm learning new stuff about every country I go.
21:42 I don't just go to a country and go to meet, when I go to a different country and I go to meet, I learn the history.
21:48 I learn who was the president, who was the fastest person from this country, who is the record holder from this country in my event.
21:54 I couldn't beat you on the track. I can't think of a sport, you said you'd go to the football and cricket.
22:00 So I'm going to try and beat you at a sport, or maybe just a game of pool.
22:05 I think I'm going to try my hand at that.
22:08 Yay!
22:10 [Music]
22:13 [Music]
22:16 [Music]
22:19 [Music]
22:21 [Music]
22:46 I got one victory. Thanks very much for being on the line.
22:50 It was a pleasure to be on the line.
22:56 [Music]
22:58 This episode of On The Line was brought to you courtesy the sports company of Trinidad and Tobago.
23:15 [BLANK_AUDIO]