A well-used adage is that age ain’t nothing but a number.
Cheryl Toussaint, meet director for the Colgate Women’s Games since 2015, is 73 years young — younger when you speak with her about her passion.
The Colgate Games, the country’s largest track and field series for women, is starting its sixth decade.
“It is an opportunity — I can’t say once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it’s a rare opportunity to get young girls involved in something that can really change their lives in a positive way,” said Toussaint, a silver medal winner at the 1972 Munich Olympics in the 4×400 relay. “It’s hard to find just the thing that will trigger something in them. It really does make a difference, and it can be quite life-changing.”
The Colgate Games events include the 55 meter dash; 55 meter hurdles; 200, 400, 800, and 1,500 meter races; high jump; and shot put. The events are open to elementary kids, high schoolers, collegiate students, and world-class athletes. Last year, 1,000 athletes participated.
Toussaint, an Erasmus Hall High School (Brooklyn) and NYU graduate, is always drawn back to the games for one reason: the athletes.
“Every single year, there is a new crop of young ladies — new faces who need what the Colgate Games has to offer,” said Toussaint, a Teaneck, N.J., resident. “Not every athlete is going to walk away with a scholarship, but they’re all going to walk away with the life lessons that they’re going to get from this program.”
The Games, founded in 1974, were started by Brooklyn’s own Fred Thompson, former USA Olympic track and field coach, and head of the Atom’s Track Club in Brooklyn and the Colgate-Palmolive company.
“Fred told me to never, never discount myself,” Toussaint declared, knowing that when the young women compete, they get hooked. “That’s what kept Fred involved for so long.”
He died in 2019.
The Games’ legacy is in good hands with Toussaint, her support staff, and Colgate-Palmolive. “They’ve been doing this for 50 years and over 5,000 scholarships have been awarded to date,” said Toussaint. Those scholarships come in handy “to pay or offset the cost of their education, whether it be in elementary or middle school or private school.
“If they defer it until they’re in college, it could help toward paying their college expenses.”
The Colgate Games have developed many stars. Past alumni include Dalilah Muhammad, from Jamaica, Queens, a gold medalist in two Olympics who just retired this year, along with Brooklynites Natasha Hastings, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and former two-time indoor world champ Diane Dixon, who was recently inducted into the Ohio State University Hall of Fame. Sha’Carri Richardson, who captured gold and silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics, made an appearance last year to support the women.
All the former stars give back, but the learning for the young athletes comes from doing and from competing. “They discover that’s how they learn,” said Toussaint. “That’s how they eventually learn to lead, because every time you step on a track, you’re learning how to lead. Whether it’s leading the race, leading in terms of carrying yourself to a better performance, you’re constantly challenging yourself.”
Registration begins November 28 at the Nike Track & Field Center at the Armory (216 Ft. Washington Avenue) in Washington Heights in Manhattan. December 12 registration is at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. December 27 and January 3 are the preliminary2027 dates at the Armory. Registration for the series closes on January 3. The semi-finals (January 24) and the finals (February 6) are at the Armory.
For online registration and entry forms this month, go to [www.ColgateWomensGames.com](#bookmark=id.6zzmqjxxml0).
