Edwin Allen High's Danniel Thomas is hoping to make a big impression on her debut for Jamaica at the Junior Pan Am Championship and admits that donning the national colours is a dream come true.

Thomas will be competing in the throwing events and was victorious at the National Champs in three of them, the discus, javelin and shot put. However, she is not yet sure which events she will be competing in.

"For me this is the moment I have been waiting for as I have always dreamt of representing my country. I am really excited and I want to go out there and show that I am very good in any event," Thomas told Star Sports.

strong performances

The former Frome Technical High School athlete has made tremendous strides since joining Edwin Allen putting in strong performances at both Champs and the Penn Relays.

"I used to do well in all the throwing events at my former school, but since I came to Edwin Allen High I have improved a lot because I am able to spend more time in track and field. At Frome, I was a part of the school netball team also and I did not spend enough time in track and field," she said.

She credited her teammates and coaches at Edwin Allen for her big improvement.

"At Edwin Allen training is very competitive and we are all motivated as we try to outdo each other because there are several outstanding throwers in the programme and the coach is very good," she continued.

Although she went to the Penn Relays for her school she was disappointed in not making the Carifta team earlier this year.

"I was really looking forward to making the Carifta team knowing that it was going to be held in western Jamaica where I am from and I knew that all my friends and family would have been there to support me, but it did not happen," she said.

That incident made Thomas even more determined to make the team for Pan Am and worked much harder after Carifta and Penn Relays. "I was determined to make the national team so I worked overtime and when I went to the Trials and won three events I was not surprised."

- R.G