The upcoming 50th Carifta games will be held in Nassau, Bahamas from April 7-10, 2023. Among the early prequalifiers is 17-year-old Calea Jackson, who qualified at the 2022 Odd Distance Track & Field Meet which was held at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium on December 17.
Jackson began her track and field journey at Queen’s College. She participated in the shot put in physical education class; through those classes, she met her track coach Corrington Maycock. Jackson then began training to compete in the primary nationals as the team was in need of a female shot put thrower. After training with Coach Maycock for two months, leading to a win at the primary nationals, Jackson joined the Blue Chips Athletic Club.
Jackson was not immediately in love with track and field, and in fact, the sport really had to grow on her. She was the youngest member of the team when she started, but through the energy of the team and Coach Maycock, she began enjoying practice and competition. What started as a laborious chore and something just to do, practice became enjoyable to the point of loving to be around the team and coach.
At the age of 12, Jackson attended her first CARIFTA Games at home as a spectator; after watching the athletes perform, Jackson was extremely inspired and couldn't wait to compete.
Jackson talked about her training to continue getting better; she was quick to mention however, the toughness of Coach Maycock. Jackson also talked about the grueling practices that started as early as 8 AM, seven days a week, in every weather condition imaginable. No matter how tough her training was, Jackson knew for sure that it was definitely worth it.
Case in point; at the beginning of Covid, Jackson qualified for NACAC, which was her first international meet she was able to travel to. After finishing third, that inspired Jackson to do even more, which she did in qualifying for Carfita the following year. Although she finished 4th in the discus, Jackson didn’t feel disappointed, she just knew where she stacked up against the best of the best and where she needed to improve.
Jackson and Maycock have built a strong relationship over the years; Jackson admitting that Coach Maycock was like a father figure. Not only will he push her to get the most of her on the field, but he is there for her and glows when talking about her potential.
Maycock, a former CARIFTA thrower who is now one of the top coaches in the Bahamas, said Jackson has progressed significantly since first qualifying as a 7th grader. Now attending Rabun Gap-Nacooche School in Georgia, Maycock has been coaching her online since there is no throwing program at her school.
During her 10th and 11th grade years, Jackson has performed exceptionally well, placing first in discus and shot put, winning the state championship in both events. In total, she has four state championships and a two-time all-state athlete. Jackson is ranked 24th in the United States and is looking for two more state titles in 12th grade. Mayock is expecting big things from Jackson as she heads to the University of Miami.
It didn’t take long for Jackson to qualify for CARIFTA; she qualified at the Odd Distance meet. Although she scratched on two of her three throws, the other was solid enough to qualify. She is looking forward to the 2023 CARIFTA Games and will compete in the under-20 girl’s division. She feels she has a lot to prove and wants to perform well in front of the home crowd.
As he looks into his crystal ball, Maycock sees Jackson having an excellent collegiate career competing in the discus and hammer throw, with the hammer throw ultimately being her best event. Jackson has already discussed with Maycock and the University of Miami coaching staff, agreeing that she should abandon the shot put and focus on the discus and hammer throw.
Jackson always wanted to do the hammer throw, but it wasn’t offered in high school. She admits she isn’t as good in the shot put as in the hammer throw. Her personal bests are 45.19 meters in the discus and 11.45 meters in the shot put.
Her decision to attend Miami was an easy one, not only from an athletic perspective but also in terms of academics. Jackson wants to become a doctor someday and the University of Miami has an outstanding medical program. The balance between athletics and academics makes Miami a perfect fit.
For many, the transition from high school to university can be difficult. Jackson feels that will not be the case with her since she’s already in a boarding school so she does not expect anything much to change. The biggest difference is having a coach on site to train her.
Excited to begin the next journey in her life at the University of Miami, Jackson has some words of advice for young female athletes who are beginning their journey. First, stick with the program even when times are bad. Maintain discipline instead of feeling like giving up; let down times motivate you to do better. Let it light a fire under you to prove what you can do, not only to yourself, but to others around you.
In the meantime, the name Calea Jackson will likely make numerous headlines in track and field over the next four years at the University of Miami. Jackson and The Bahamas cannot wait to see what she accomplishes.