Céliane COLAS

Athletic performances

Javelin: 29.97m (500g) 
Shot Put: 8.26m (3kg)
Hammer: 39.83m (3kg)
Height: 5’7 ft
Weight: 143 lbs

3^rd place in regional championship in hammer throw
7^th place in regional championship in javelin
Regional ranking in javelin
R4 in hammer throw

I have been doing Track & Field for 10 years. I train six times per week. I am in sports studies. I follow a training program to improve my physical condition and to progress in explosiveness, speed and technique. I have already practiced hammer throw and shot put in competition. 

Interview

What makes you different ?
Sport has always been part of my life. I belong to a ‘sportive’ family. My parents were both competing in basketball, and with years passing by got into running marathons, and competing. I was going every weekend to all their games; I was then following them for all marathons they did. They gave me the passion for sport at an early age. They put me on downhill skis at the age of 3 years and I took lessons for 10+ years. Thanks to them, I got to develop my physical skills my passion and an open mind thanks to everything I learn and discover in sport or in life every day. Seeing both my parents running, I got into Track & Field and started competing as well. When I practice Track & Field, I feel I am at home, I find my happy place in this world. If I don’t practice one day, I don’t feel ‘well’ mentally and physically.  Competing in College would therefore be the right next step into my life I have built so far with sport and Track & Field. I would take it to the next stage by combining college whereby I need a higher education but also my passion and that combination is not an easy one in France. I want to experience that community life and have the chance to do both at the same time. I want to compete in college not only to be able to combine both my interests but I also see a step further and what competition will bring to my life. When you compete, you develop yourself personally, you learn more about yourself, you have to develop your abilities, structure yourself, repeat, accept failure, go beyond your own mental and physical abilities, work in teams, learn from others, be disciplined, respect others, learn patience, challenge your motivation and will put yourself into question and much more. My teammates will be my friends and big support but also my strongest opponents in the competition. Competing will be such a stepping stone to my sport life but also my life in general. 

What do you want to compete in college ?
As I graduate from high school, the ‘child’ and ‘teenage’ years are over, the ‘adult’ phase is starting, and even more so with wanting to pursue my studies with my passion abroad. Sport is my life line. When I practice Track & Field I am in my happy place, and so I will be in a better position to succeed in my college years. Competing will teach me a number of skills and will prepare me for the next stage in my life. Doing it in the USA context, whereby sport is highly valued and fully integrated in college, and where you belong to a community, will give me the right environment, experience and exposure to excel in both sport and school. Combining both Track & Field and my studies is my first step in this new chapter where I will build the foundation to achieve my future goals. I want to be successful in Track & Field, win competition, go as far as I can in this sport! I wish to live of it, and to have a decent life where I succeed in what I do so that I can give back to my family and to others and continue to learn by discovering the world. Travelling open one’s mind, learn new knowledges, capacity to adapt and resilience to face any situations.I want my life to make sense to myself and to others in the world that we live in today. I would like people to be comfortable and open their minds to our world and its developments, without destroying our world either. I am very interested about new technologies and how it impacts the world today. If I can make an impact by sharing the value of what there is today, then I will contribute in my own way to our world. Learning and giving back to the community are two things that are key to me. Being successful in what I do and being in my happy place will highly contribute to achieve my goals!

College goals
– Getting an education, in a Bachelor and then a Master’s Degree
– Practicing and competing in Track and Field in the USA system which is a much more competitive but collaborative system. I want real-life experiences, on the ‘job’ training, and not theoretical knowledge. I know the French System which does not correspond to what I am looking for. 
– I am looking to learn differently to fluent English, to challenge myself in an environment and teach that will be new to me, to meet and interact with a variety of people, to excel in my sport, to give to others by sharing my own knowledge and much more.

Additional Information
Track & Field is not the only sport that I practice. I have been on downhill skis since the age of 3, taking lessons every year during the winter season. I also go hiking with my parents on a regular basis.  I started exercising when I was three when my parents put me in a gymnastics class for 3 years, followed by swimming classes for 4 years.  I have always been involved in sports since an early age. Today, I train younger athletes to give them my passion. There are 8 to 11 years old, and train with me once a week. I get them to discover what Track and Field is, by initiating them to shot put, long jump or even running. When I was young, I always competed in teams and therefore medals were often earned as a team and not an individual. Something that has changed over the past years as I started competing in Track & Field. 
I love cooking for me and others! I used to help my mom in the kitchen with simple recipes when I was younger, and I now enjoy cooking different recipes for my parents or my friends. I am also good at love arts and craft activities. Whether it is patchwork, painting, drawing, sand-drawing, bags or shoes customization, I can spend hours doing so.  I love to innovate, find new original ideas and to think outside of the box. Unique and original is what defines my creations.