Make no mistake: St. John’s University thrower Jamora Alves is competitive, but she has a new approach this season. Her goal is to continually improve on her personal best and put forth strong performances. The end goal is to make it to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and also achieve the Olympic qualifying distance that will put her on Grenada’s team for Paris 2024.
“Competition is not always about winning,” said Alves, who placed first in last weekend’s Monmouth Spring Opener. “I’d rather lose with a big pr (personal best) than to win (and show) little results. You should set your goals and go after them instead of ‘I want to be the leader’ or ‘I want to win.’ Yes, you want to win, but at this moment…your focus is to meet the qualifying standards and go to the bigger level. When you’re at the bigger level, then you go hard to win.”
The Olympic qualifying distance is 64.50 meters. Alves’s current personal best is 52.86. She needs to up her game, and she’s focused on achieving that. If all goes well, she hopes to continue representing Grenada through the 2028 Olympics. Right now, she’s working to incorporate new technical elements that St. John’s throwing coach, Lexia Robinson, has introduced.
“Some meets I’m going to, I’m most focused on my technique,” said Alves, a sophomore. “Before, I used my strength more than my technique. As I’m getting to better understand the sport, I realize technique is key.
“There are a lot of changes I’ve made; it will take a little while to adapt, but I feel like from the period now until leading up to NCAAs, I think I should be mentally and physically ready,” she added.
Alves is majoring in health and human services. Her goal is to pursue a master’s degree in occupational therapy. She said succeeding in a demanding major requires mental preparation, time management, and focus. She tries to do all her schoolwork before leaving for competition, so she doesn’t have to stress at a meet.
Should she earn an Olympic spot, she would be the first thrower from Carriacou, Grenada, to do so. It would be a big step toward pro track and field, which she would like to pursue after graduation.
“I will be training hard, doing extra work on my own,” Alves said. “I have my goals; extra work is no problem.”