Jeannelle Scheper is a St Lucian High Jumper, participating in her first Olympic Games this year in Rio. She is an alumna of the University of South Carolina and has received numerous achievements in her jumping career in the South Eastern Conference as well as NCAA. In this interview Jeannelle shares with us some details of her journey thus far and her thoughts on overall development.
OY: What did it feel like in the moment that you qualified for the Olympic games?
JS: When I qualified for the Olympics, at first I didn’t even realize! I had won the South Eastern Conference and broke the record, I was so excited about those two accomplishments that I didn’t even realize I had qualified. The rest of the day was a blur of happiness for me. It was so overwhelming achieving such a great feat after preparing for the past four years. It
also solidified my position in the sport as a true competitor, I had jumped the qualifying height some weeks before (it was too early in the season to be accepted as a qualification for the Games) but jumping it again proved to me that I worked hard to really earn it.
OY: What would you say has been the most difficult part of your journey as a professional athlete?
First thing is understanding you are your own business and you are in full control of how your business is run. You essentially become a marketing tool and you have to grasp very quickly how to navigate that world. I was exposed to an entirely new perspective on how you brand yourself and who you allow into your brand space. There was also the logistics side - travelling, physio and massage, coordinating funding, doctor’s visits - all of these things were provided by the university when I competed on the collegiate team but once you become a professional athlete you have to provide those things for yourself.
OY: What has been involved in your preparation for the Olympic games? Leading up to the games what is your typical day like?
My typical day consists of waking up and heading to the weight room where I get one on one coaching from my weightlifting coach. Strength and conditioning is very crucial for jumpers, so it helps that I love lifting. Then I usually go through rehab with my athletic trainer, doing exercises to stretch and strengthen areas that need attention to prevent injury. Or sometimes I'll have an appointment to get acupuncture or adjusted by the chiropractor. Later on in the day I have actual practice where I am doing a running, power or speed workout. Then once or twice a week I'll jump and work on the technical aspects of high jump. Some days Coach and i will follow up practice with video analysis where we watch my old High jump videos, or videos of other high jumpers. During the school year I also would be working as a Graduate Assistant and attending class.
OY: What keeps you focused/motivated to perform?
First and foremost motivation is providing for my family, especially my mom. My parents did a lot for me and I want to truly show my appreciation for them and make them proud. Ever since I started in high jump they have been an unwavering support system. I’d like to get to a place where I am comfortable enough to take care of my family.
Also I'm definitely very spiritual, so to me nothing happens by chance. That means that God gave me this career as a High jumper and it has to serve some greater purpose. So I'm always motivated to get to the next level in my sport and figure out what I can give back.
Another motivator is that I never really wanted to work a traditional job. I have this opportunity to do something I love and where I get to travel and see the world. The potential of this lifestyle motivates me to be good enough that this is sustainable for the long term.
OY: What advice do you have for young athletes in your country/region who dream of becoming professional athletes / being an Olympian?
I would say don’t be ignorant about your sport - find out everything about what needs to be done in your field that makes people successful. We have a bit of an attitude in the Caribbean where we are comfortable with not knowing; often if we aren't successful, we would rather wait until something great falls into our laps rather than taking the initiative to figure out what the next step is. It's tied to the whole culture of sport being a recreational thing rather than a means to earning a living. If you are seriously considering being an athlete, understand that no one is going to do it for you. Find out what it takes to get to the next level - what is required and expected of you and what you need to do to be your best.
OY: What changes would you like to see in sports/athletics development in your country/region?
The biggest change I would like to see is in the culture towards sports. People view sports as a hobby or as recreation - we have so much talent and potential in the Caribbean when it comes to sport but because we don't regard sport as a serious avenue for jobs and tourism even, we don't direct enough resources to develop sports in order for it to thrive. We need to take sport more seriously.
If we can grasp that sportspeople are free ambassadors for each island, who can reach a larger market through their sporting following, we can capitalize on that marketing potential. Sports tourism could be a whole new source of revenue for us. Also, aside from leaning on current athletes we need to build relationships with schools overseas, so that it is easier for upcoming athletes to earn scholarships to go to school and develop to elite status in their sport. It is difficult to do so here in the Caribbean since facilities and resources are often lacking. Finally, there are also great developmental opportunities for sporting events, through hosting training camps, high caliber meets and other events we can truly use sports to create a stream of sporting tourism. There is so much we can do as a region by changing how we think about sports.
