SECOND YEAR student of GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sports, 19-year-old Ruth-Ann Sanderson, is seeking the right balance as she hopes to use her degree to inspire other females in sport.
The former Montego Bay High School student who has attained 11 CSEC subjects, including eight ones, two twos, and one three, now specialises in the javelin throw. Interestingly, she only played netball at her alma mater and did not compete in track and field.
Her first love was, in fact, tae kwon do, where she has been a national representative.
“I started tae,kwon,do at age 10 while in Grade 4 at primary school. My parents did it and asked me if I was interested, and I said yes, and I practised for seven years,” said Sanderson.
“I am at a pause now due to my studies at GC Foster College. I participated at the club level and for Jamaica at the Jamaica Taekwando Academy and the Ultimate Taekwando Tournament,” Sanderson added.
It was surprising that with her 11 CSEC subjects Sanderson opted for a career in sport. However, she said she was a big admirer of sports
“I love sports and Iove to talk about women in sport, and GC Foster College is the foundation of sports in Jamaica and the Caribbean, and I think it is important also for females to get into it and learn from the basics, so GC Foster for me was more than essential,” she said.
Sanderson has her sights set on being a sports analyst.
“One of the things I study here at the college is journalism, so I try to volunteer as much as possible at track and field meets. I want to be a track and field analyst and also use my degree to inspire other females to pursue sport regardless of their academic achievements. Sport is not only about the physical aspect,” she shared.
“I have grown to love sports regardless of how good I am at it. I was never the best at sporting activities, so I pushed myself to do well in academics. My support system always encouraged me to strive for a balance, and my aim is to continually be an allrounder,” she concluded.