KINGSTON:At the Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha), excellence is not merely measured by the speed of a sprinter or the distance of a throw. It is also measured by the development of its students, many of whom represent the school in sport. As a mark of how far they have come, Alpha now celebrates a historic season on the track, highlighted by their seventh-place finish at the recent ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, and at the Penn Relays where they delivered landmark performances under the guidance of a coaching staff led by Kirk King.The performance that stood out most at the Penn Relays was their second-place finish in the International 4x100m final.VISIONKali McMorris, principal, emphasises that the school’s sporting programmes are deeply rooted in the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy, whose vision has always been to produce "change makers, vision makers, and enablers".“We achieve this by enabling young women to see themselves in the future and to demand the resources and opportunities that will help them grow. We have seen more and more young women find themselves through athletics and other co-curricular activities,” she said.“Through the excellent coaching and mentorship of Mr.King, whom we consider a 'Man of Mercy', he helps these students understand their identity as young women. He shows them they have a place not only on the track but also in the classroom and in the field of advocacy as student council and student leaders,” McMorris explained.“Track and field helps them become great athletes who use their physical gifts as God intended, fulfilling our school’s mission.”BUILDING ‘HUMAN BEINGS’King notes that what they have achieved is not coincidental, but a long-term, strategic move targeting improvements in the team’s standings, while simultaneously building "ladies into adults and human beings who can function amongst a team".He said there is a five-year plan, which germinated after the COVID-19 pandemic, when they started out with 13 athletes and the school placed 31st at Girls’ Champs. Now, they are up to seventh, after finishing “just six points off the top five”, King pointed out.“My team is a small team of hard-working girls who put out the effort day in, day out, to get these results. And we're not done yet. We are continuing our journey, and we will continue to push our girls,” he admitted.“We want them to improve, we want them to become successful individuals in the future, not just in track and field, but in their academics. And the Convent of Mercy Academy always stresses academics and sports. So we will continue to work with these girls for the future,” King said.PARTNERSHIPA crucial element of their transformation, he says, is the implementation of a proper nutrition programme, which includes lunch during training.”When we started this partnership of getting these girls lunch with training, that's mainly when we started seeing most of the improvements,” said King.Alpha also benefited from a significant $500,000 donation from Express Canteen that was vital in allowing the team to travel to the Penn Relays this year.McMorris explained: “When we have partners like Mr and Mrs.Foster and Express Canteen, who embrace our vision and work with us to accomplish our mission, we couldn’t ask for more. Their financial support is vital.“Honestly, we could not have reached the Penn Relays without their significant donation of $500,000 toward the students' travel. We are deeply grateful for this collaboration, as it is how a school comes together with its partners to accomplish its mission," she said.Simone Foster, director of Express Canteen, describes the company as a “nutritional partner" dedicated to the mantra of empowering youth through sport.She explained that they were brought to the table and briefed on the institution’s long-term goals years ago and feels satisfied to see the plans now bearing fruit.“We are very big on not just supporting the dreams of our partners, but we also want to be a key stakeholder in the space of our customers,” said Mrs. Foster. “They're not just customers; we consider them our partners. We want to be a part of the landscape that ensures and empowers our partners and customers to ensure that they self-actualise in whatever field of play — whether it be track and field, netball, football, whatever it is.“We'll continue to be a part of youth development in this country through sport development. Sport is an avenue that we are big on through corporate philanthropic activities, and this is just another avenue for us providing that support to Alpha,” shared Mrs Foster.“We'd like to thank you for the donation and we're very grateful and it has impacted us a lot,” said athlete Alia Ross, responding on behalf of the track and field team and Alpha.“Track and field has made me a disciplined and a structured person, and I have developed a lot of communication and teamwork skills, and I look forward to becoming a great athlete in the future.”