NSW All Schools sprinter Rashid Kabba’s Olympic, Commonwealth Games dream
He’s made numerous top 10 world rankings lists for his events. So who is this schoolboy star of Australian athletics and why does he run so fast?
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As soon as refuge Rashid Kabba arrived at a local sport carnival in Sydney as a kid something happened.
The Westfields Sports High schoolboy, 16, said he remembers vividly he had an immediate urge to run as fast as he could.
Now, nine years on, he’s still running – and getting faster by the day.
The teen sprint and hurdles specialist is already dreaming of a professional future in the sport he loves and which he hopes will reap him more success at this weeks NSW All Schools Championships in Sydney.
“I went to the track with my father to try everything out and as soon as I got there I instantly wanted to start running. Something just clicked in me,” said Rashid, who is coached for hurdles and sprints by Dan Suchy, sprints by Hayden Kovacic and long jump by Shane Castlereagh.
“I started running and everyone said I was pretty fast. So I just kept doing it.”
The Holroyd Little Athletics star, who has four brothers and a sister and lives in Toongabbie, trains six days a week for the 100m and 200m, hurdles and long jump.
He says he has known from an early age he wants to be compoetign one day in the Olympic Games arena and Commonwealth Games.
“Watching the Olympics, seeing everyone run and watching the times, I really enjoyed it,” he said of the Tokyo Games earlier this year.
“I want to be in that position one day very badly.”
A Sierra Leone refugee who arrived in Australia at the age of one, Rashid has already attracted plenty of attention in his sport.
Last year he was the fourth youngest male ever selected in an Australian team for a world under 20 championships at age 15.
He also won five medals at the Australian junior championships and has big plans to nab more silverware at the NSW All School Championships.
“I want to win and get a PB in the 100 and the hurdles,’’ he said.
“I have a 10.7 and I want to lower that. In the 110 my PB is 13.97.
“And I want to do at least 7m in long jump.”
Earlier this year Rashid was ranked world No. 1 in his age in 110m hurdles and top 10 in 100m and 200m (21.80).
His rankings have dropped since due to overseas competitions being held.
The NSW All Schools Championships are being run from December 8-12 at Sydney Olympic Park.
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