Gibbons-Thomas Aims To Be Fastest On Rock
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Sprinter Milan Gibbons-Thomas believes she had to take a break from running to realise how much she loved the sport.
The 13-year-old returned to running four years ago after a short hiatus, which included the Covid-19 pandemic, having already displayed her potential by winning the under-11 girls 80 metres at the Caribbean Union of Teachers [CUT] Biennial Student Athletic Championships on home soil in 2018.
Now she will look to win back-to-back titles in the Athene Fastest Kid on de Rock at the Flora Duffy Stadium as part of the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix weekend.
Gibbons-Thomas won the under-12/13 girls 100 last year and hopes to repeat her success in the under-14/15 race this time around.
“I feel confident and that’s what I’m focussing on,” Gibbons-Thomas told Bernews.
“I was nervous last year, but those nerves helped me. I felt like I could conquer [the race], but I had to control my nerves until the starting pistol went off.
“It’s OK to be nervous before races – the adrenaline can really push you! It was so cool to hear people say afterward, ‘Oh, she’s the fastest kid on de rock!’”
Gibbons-Thomas, who attends the Bermuda High School for Girls, experienced the winning feeling in her first-ever race as a four-year-old in the annual Skyport Magic Mile.
“My mom [Devin Thomas] made me do the race, which I didn’t really want to, but I ended up winning my age group,” she remembers. “I’ve been running pretty much ever since.”
Initially, Gibbons-Thomas trained at the GS Running Club before switching to the Dash athletics team under coach DeVon Bean, the Bermuda National Athletics Association director of athletics.
She then took a short break to pursue other interests.
“I went through a phase when I wanted to try other sports like football and tennis,” said Gibbons-Thomas, who aims to qualify for the Carifta Games in Trinidad and Tobago next year.
“DeVon Bean reached out to me, encouraged me to get back into running, and made sure I trained every week.
“I’m thankful I returned to the sport. Maybe I needed to realise how much I loved to run. I intend to keep running for as long as I can!”
Good luck Laniiii!!
Milan seems very wise for a 13 year old. And she appears to have a good attitude toward her chose sport.
I wish you the best of luck, Milan.