By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Triple jumper Kaiwan Culmer took a brave leap of faith in October of last year when he made the decision to resign from his site supervisor position at Arawak Homes Ltd to pursue his main goal of trying to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Ultimately, Arawak Homes Ltd declined his resignation and instead made the decision to sponsor his quest in trying to qualify for the marquee event in Paris, France.

Since making the bold move, Culmer has journeyed to Florida State University in Tallahassee where he currently trains with Olympian Leevan “Superman” Sands.

The 27-year-old does not regret making the transition from New Providence to Tallahassee and said the change in environment has yielded great results.

“It is a huge difference. The change has made a tremendous impact on my training, everything is improving and I am feeling better as an athlete.

“The transition improved how much more into the event I am. It is more exciting to go to practice because I am not exhausted.

“Through it all, I am glad I took the leap of faith to do it which gives me the best chance to make it to the Paris Olympic Games,” Culmer said.

His previous daily routine consisted of trying to balance his professional life as a full-time site supervisor while trying to put in adequate work as a professional athlete.

The routine was not sustainable long term for the jumpman as he would commence his mornings at 6am, train until 8:30am and commute to work for a full 8-hour shift. Ultimately, he found himself in a constant battle with exhaustion which is now a thing of the past.

“The load I had on me didn’t work for me being a professional athlete. The change from a full day of working, being exhausted and then going to train compared to just waking up in the morning, relaxing, going to practice and taking my time to practice and perfect my craft. I can take as long as I need to do what I need to do and if I am exhausted I can just go home and rest,” he said.

With the obstacle of trying to balance work and athletic life now behind him, the three-time national champion has rediscovered a newfound passion for the triple jump event thanks to a new environment and decorated coach. Sands, who set the men’s triple jump record with 17.59 metres for bronze at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, offers a wealth of knowledge due to his experience within the triple jump event. According to Culmer, working alongside the Olympian has truly been a remarkable experience so far.

“The programme that Leevan has put together is second to none. Everything that we do is centred around the triple jump from the very first warm up drill. As a coach, he has done an extraordinary job to write the right programme to help triple jumpers and long jumpers excel in their craft,” he said.

The assistant jumps coach at FSU is quite familiar not only with the triple jump event but also the feat Culmer is actively trying to achieve.

Additionally, the Olympic bronze medallist has competed at four Olympic games and Culmer feels due to Sands’ background in athletics, his coaching ability is unmatched.

“Leevan was a very vibrant athlete but he also took that energy into being a coach. He created an atmosphere of college and professional athletes who love what they do. He creates a fun environment but there is great competitiveness, hard work and he is encouraging. It is just fun to be around him. I feel like since he had an athlete background he knows what it takes,” he said.

For the former national champion, the professional and financial support of Arawak Homes Ltd has also played a big role in making his quest a little bit more comfortable. The company has alleviated some expenses for Culmer, including his housing, transportation, diet and supplements costs along with other accommodations.

“The sponsorship to say the least has been very helpful. I don’t think people understand what it takes to be a professional athlete financially.

“There are a lot of expenses centred around being a professional athlete so just the support alone regardless of the amount is helpful because it goes towards something that is not wanted but needed and required.

“During my time there I gave it my best effort, so them investing in me in a way that they did really has to make me really appreciate them.

“It just really shows the type of people that they are outside of the business environment. They are really a good group of corporate citizens,” Culmer said.

Mentally, the 27-year-old is in a great headspace by his standards and his confidence is sky high.

He has no doubts in his abilities to conquer his ultimate goal of qualifying for this summer’s Olympics after countless sacrifices and hard work.

The Olympic qualifying standard for the triple jump is 17.22m and Culmer owns a personal best of 16.52m achieved in 2018.

“I am very confident. I have a lot of faith and faith without works is dead. Each and everyday I come out to the track, I do not skip a beat. I do everything according to the books and everything that is planned by my coach. It is a lot of sacrifice but with sacrifice you get to achieve some of the things you actually hope for,” he said.

The Paris Olympic Games are scheduled for July 26 to August 11.