A Promising Athlete: Meet Promise Akachukwu
Promise Akachukwu and ten other Cape Breton University students are making history this weekend as they compete in CBU鈥檚 first (AUS) track and field championship. A first-year Psychology student from Nigeria, Promise has been involved with track and field from the time he was five-years-old and is thrilled to be competing at the university level. He will be representing CBU in both the 60-meter sprint and the 300-meter sprint.听
鈥淚 have always loved the passion I see in athletes, especially those who run track,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 so happy to be given the opportunity to keep growing in this event.鈥� When he arrived in Canada, Promise says the idea of competing in the new country was always in the back of his mind, but it wasn鈥檛 until he saw a poster recruiting athletes to CBU鈥檚 track and field team that he knew his dream was a possibility.听
John Hudec, CBU Professor and one of the team鈥檚 coaches, says they are thankful to have Promise on the team and are incredibly excited to be heading to the University of New Brunswick for the AUS event. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a rookie team but we鈥檝e got a good chance,鈥� says John. 鈥淥ver the next few years, we will be focused on recruitment and development as we strive for continual improvement.鈥澨�
For Promise, what motivates him to strive for greatness in the sport is the rush an athlete experiences after winning a race. 鈥淏ut I also love the defeat,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚t gives you the assurance that you have to work harder than before and the motivation to do so.鈥澨�
This will be the biggest competition Promise has attended and he says he is proud to be a part of CBU鈥檚 debut in the AUS Track and Field championships. 鈥淚 am looking forward to taking on some big names in the sport,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd the connection we鈥檝e built between our coaches and teammates will make it even better. I have the best team I could ever wish for.鈥澨�
As the CBU Track and Field Team develops, Promise wants other students to know that everyone is welcome. 鈥淣o one is too slow,鈥� says Promise. 鈥淎ll you have to do is keep putting in more effort. We鈥檙e a fun and caring team and the events are always exciting.鈥澨�
For more information on Track and Field at CBU, contact John_Hudec@cbu.ca听