By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net    

TRACK and field sensation Alaya Armbrister is only six-years-old but already has a bright future ahead of her, not only in athletics but in sports. 

The versatile athlete got her start in sports three years ago and has already accumulated over 30 medals under her belt and capped off the 2024 season as one of the fastest six-year-olds in America. 

Her long list of accolades includes being a two-time AAU gold medallist and two-time Speed Capital MVP.

The six-year-old expressed how it felt to finish the season as the fastest in the nation.

“I am proud of myself and happy I won,” she said. 

She is fresh off an appearance at the Jennifer Hudson Show, where she got the opportunity to showcase her athletic prowess for not only the viewing audience but also Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Armbrister is a well-rounded performer in athletics. She competes in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m events.

She expressed why she loves the quarter-mile event the most. 

“I like running in it and I am fast in it. I like when my dad runs with me and I like when I am running the 400m,” she said. 

Although she is a gifted performer on the track and field, her athletic ability is not only limited to athletics. Armbrister also plays soccer, flag football and does gymnastics.

Soccer affords her the opportunity to put her speed on display which is why this sport is one of her favourites. “I like soccer because when I have the ball I can run as fast as I can,” she said.  Her parents Natasha Velez and Deandre Armbrister both have athletic backgrounds. 

Her father, who played football and ran track, also serves as her coach and has seen immense passion in his daughter since she was four.

“She started around three but I noticed her passion around four. The more that she watched me workout and train the more she was around and wanted to do more,” he said. 

Alaya had a stellar performance at the 2024 AAU Primary National Championships back in July.

While representing Run It Sports, she crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:20:47 to win the gold medal in the girls 400m finals.

She also dominated at the Speed Capital Meet in Palm Beach, Florida earlier this year. She bested competitors in the girls’ 6U 55m dash, clocking 10.28 seconds for gold.

If that were not enough, the decorated six-year-old pulled off a win in the girls’ 6U long jump event. She placed first overall with a leap of 2.38m. 

The two-time Speed Capital MVP collected her third gold medal of the meet in the girls’ 6U 100m dash. She left the field of competitors behind, stopping the clock at a swift 18.10 seconds. 

Her father and coach said it is not surprising that his daughter continues to soar to new heights.

“It is amazing. It is something that I already knew was gonna happen because I am an athlete myself and I know what it takes to get to a certain level. As of right now, we are just scratching the surface,” he said. 

Alaya not only has a strong presence on the track but also on social media. Her TikTok page has over 100k followers and her instagram exceeds 90k followers so it was no surprise when her interview with Jennifer Hudson caught the eyes of Bahamians at home.

The parents are both grateful for the support their daughter has received from the Bahamian community.

“It is an amazing feeling. It is something that I wanted as a child being from The Bahamas and coming to America. It is something that I wanted to do myself but just to watch my own flesh do it is an amazing feeling. Hopefully, she reaches the highest level of whatever sport she decides to choose and make her country proud and be the best that she can be,” he said.

“We appreciate all the love and support. Please continue to keep on supporting us. She loves it, we love it and it is just gives us more motivation to keep going,”

The long-term goal for the family is to watch their daughter blossom as an individual and continue to grow as a student-athlete.