World youth 400 metres silver medallist Tia Adana Belle leaves the island today to embark on a four-year athletic scholarship at St Augustine’s College in North Carolina, the United States.
Belle, who attended Christ Church Foundation School before moving on to The St Michael School, told the SUNDAY SUN that she had mixed feelings about the scholarship since it was a dream come true for her sports and academics future but it was also a “frightening” step for someone from a very close family in St George.
“I feel good about going to St Augustine to study computer science but I also feel kind of scared. I am getting a lot of support and at the same time I also feel pressured from some of the comments where I am being told to do this and don’t do that and don’t go and be like some of the other Bajan athletes,” said Belle.
The slimly built athlete is planning to pick up the sprint hurdles at St Augustine where Cherise Lynch and Burkheart Ellis are also enrolled.
“My big international meets this year are the world juniors where I hope to get into stride early at St Augustine so that I can convert from silver to gold, and the Commonwealth Games,” said Belle. (KB)
