Jamaican Star Kimone Green Rises In The Big South

Track star Kimone Green has done a lot to impress people since transferring from Abaline Christian University this past year — so much so that she was named the Big South Female Athlete of the Week this past week. But to the Jamaican native, it is not just about titles.

 

“I just love running,” Green said. “I guess I was born with it, and I’m the only one in my family who runs, so I don’t really know where I get my inspiration from.”

 

Growing up, the Jamaican native used running as a means to relax and escape difficult situations.

 

“I grew up loving track and field, because I think I used that to escape family drama that I had in the past,” Green said. “I use it as a source of relief.”

 

Green said the changing weather in America was the biggest culture shock.

 

“In Jamaica, we do not have a change of weather – we are in the tropics,” Green said. “We always have the sun and even if we get a little wind it’s not that heavy.”

 

At home, Green is surrounded by fruit trees, which is something she misses while in the United States.

 

“You can’t be hungry in Jamaica,” Green said. “Where I live, you can just go and pick any fruit. My family, we own our own animals and grow our own trees. I definitely miss the food.”

 

When Green is not running or studying you can find her exercising her athletic abilities or entertaining her friends.

 

“I love to sing, I love to play soccer and I love to make people laugh,” Green said. “I like volleyball. It’s not only competitive, but bouncing the ball over the net is so fun. If I played a sport other than track and field it would be volleyball.”

 

Green runs a few events in track and is good at all of them, but she favors hurdles.

 

“I’m not a big fan of the 400,” Green said. “And everyone’s like ‘Kimone, you’re a 400 person’ and I’m like ‘people, people I’m a hurdler.’”

 

After graduation Green has a few things in mind. She is a grad student in the sports management program here at Liberty, and coaching at the collegiate level is one of her aspirations.

 

“I’m still planning as I go,” Green said. “I love track and field, and I have learned a lot since I came here, and I just want to coach. (I want to) impart my knowledge on younger folks that come up who love running.”

 

Green already has a head start on coaching. She is a leader on the track team and does everything she can to leave an impact and set an example for the younger players.

 

“I’m a motivation for the young athletes here and I definitely want to go there (the track and field championships),” Green said. “Being the Big South Athlete of the Week definitely gives me that motivation and strength to finish my season.”

 

Green has already competed for Jamaica as a youth, and after graduating she thinks it could be an option for her once she takes a short break.

 

“I’ve been going through school and track, so after this season I want to take a break,” Green said. “I definitely feel like I have a lot more to put in hurdles and I definitely can compete back for my country.”