Khamica Bingham is a Canadian track and field athlete who specializes in the 100 metres. She has represented Canada at the Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games and the World Championships in Athletics.
She became part of the national record women’s 4×100 m relay team along with Kimberly Hyacinthe, Crystal Emmanuel and Shai-Anne Davis.
She is also the 2019 Pan American Games Silver medalist in the 4×100 m relay.
Women Fitness President talks to the track & field athlete about her journey to success.
Namita Nayyar:
You started off as a national-level gymnast and then switched to track due to personal reasons. Walk us through your spectacular journey and tell us how it all began?
Khamica Bingham:
I started gymnastics when I was about 8 years old. It began when I went to the mall to buy a present for a birthday party and I saw an advertisement display of the gymnastics club inside the mall. The girls were doing flips and leap jumps and I was immediately hooked. I went home trying to jump like the girls did and begged my parents to sign me up and they did. I was in a recreational class for 2 classes before they bumped me up to the provincial level. Then I kept excelling to the national level. Gymnastics was one of those sports that I loved when I was younger, and as you get more into the elite level it wasn’t fun for me anymore. It was something I was good at but it didn’t bring joy to me anymore. I injured my knee when I was 13 and that knee injury lasted over a year and my parents were struggling financially to manage my gymnastics fees in addition to my two older siblings’ university tuition. When the opportunity presented itself, I took it to take a leap of faith and go into track and field.
Namita Nayyar:
In July 2016 she was officially named to Canada’s Olympic team. This must have been a big moment for you and your family, share your experience?
Khamica Bingham:
2016 was a year filled with so many ups and downs. 4 months before the Olympic trials, I once again hurt my knee tearing the medial cartilage under my knee cap. I was out for 2 months and only had 2 months to prepare for the biggest trials of my life. The year prior I was the national champion and had the Olympic qualifying standard, so all I had to do was come top 3. I gave it everything I had but finished 4th. So, for me personally, it wasn’t the greatest moment because I didn’t automatically make the Olympic Team for the 100m (which was my dream) but for the relay. It was one of those things where everyone around me was happy, but the ones closest to me, knew I couldn’t really be that excited. Later on, I did a fitness test with my federation to prove that I was ready to compete at the Olympics Games in the 100m, and I passed. So that moment for me was the big moment between me and God.
Namita Nayyar:
Introduce us to a day in your life.
Khamica Bingham:
My day usually starts at around 8:50am, say a prayer and start getting ready for practice. I leave the house around 9:40am to get to practice for 10am. Training is usually 2-3 hours, with different sprint workouts, general strength, plyometrics or weights. When practice is over at around 12 or 1pm, I will do my recovery stuff which is usually like rolling, stretching, soaking in cold and hot baths, then head home drinking my recovery shake, make a late breakfast and relax a bit. I like to use this time to answer emails, organize my schedule for the week and plan workouts for my clients. On the side, I own a personal training and also speed training business called Airborne Sports LLC. So usually from 4:30-6:30pm I am training clients. Then I make dinner and try and enjoy the rest of my evening either watching my favorite shows, talking on the phone or writing in my journal. I usually will be in bed by 10:30-11pm.
Full interview is continued on next page
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