PreRaceJitters’ Off the Track with John W. Davis Show #36 featuring Perdita Felicien

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For the 4th Episode of “Off The Track with John W. Davis”, I had the pleasure to have a nice in-depth conversation with a stick jumper north of the border.

My esteemed guest is none other than the NCAA All-American, 2-time Olympian, and 2003 World Champion, Canada’s 100m-hurdler queen, Perdita Felicien.

2009 is shaping up to go down as Felicien’s year of recovery and road to redemption because of what happened around 3:30pm on February 8th, 2008.

Felicien on her career threatening foot injury:

“I couldn’t run or walk for like 10 months, (I was) on crutches, in a boot so I started training in November 2008 and the truth is I didn’t know what to expect with my season. So far my season is going better than any of my doctors or surgeons would have expected because the injury was so unpredictable.  It was to a point where they said you are going to be able to hurdle but we don’t know if it’s going to be world class.”

Although she didn’t compete in Beijing, she still had the best seat in the house, broadcasting trackside for the Canadian Broadcasting Company.

On Being a CBC Track & Field Reporter:

“I took five days, (to think about it), and I’m like shoot I’m going. One, it was good money. Let’s keep it real, I am practical. I loved the experience, looking back if I didn’t go, I would have regretted it because I had so much fun.”

Let me tell you, from start to finish, this was a great interview that even touched on a unique experience that Felicien will never forget from Beijing…”being in a freeway car accident!”

It may sound crazy but its 100% real and true just like Perdita.

Take this for example… Ms. Felicien actually quit track for not one but two years.  She didn’t run one meet in 9th or 10th grade but by 12th grade was able to earn a full scholarship to train under Gary Winkler, who she still trains with, at the University of Illinois.

Perdita capped her comeback on June 27th, with a huge win over the Olympic Bronze Medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep at Canadian Track and Field National Championships.

Now she’s off to Europe and will culminate her season this August at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany. Perdita believes she still has what it takes to be a legend in the game of hurdling:

“If I can be 2nd best to Gail to me that’s great for me.  Do I have enough time… absolutely I think age is (like Aaliyah said it) aint nothing but a number. But I truly believe in the hurdles, its not all about speed and power that decreases after 26, 27.”

There’s a technical component, 10 times over, so if you can become a student of that, if you can master that, and dedicate yourself to being as proficient technically as possible then it doesn’t matter what you lose for speed.

At 28, I started when I was 20 going to my 1^st Olympics but I’m kind of still in my prime, the choice years in my event.

So Can I be a legend… Yeah beyond 2012, absolutely I think I can. My thing is now am I hungry enough and can I stay injury free and I think both those things are do able.

Special thanks to Perdita, and don’t forget to check out at her blog the Chronicles of a World Class Stick Jumper.

For much, much, much more with Perdita Felicien, tune into Off The Track with John W. Davis, exclusively on PreRaceJitters.com.

Off the Track with John W. Davis. My Style… Their Stories… For Your Ears Only!

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