Hurdling Down a Dream

She was named to the team in 2002 and 2003 as well but never placed higher than fourth while still in high school.

In addition to good competition, Lucas also saw the meets as opportunities for higher education.

“A lot of coaches, university coaches, come to scout because you have all the best talent,” remarked Lucas. Her hope was that her talents would get her into the collegiate scene.

There wasn’t much interest at first.

Although Lucas was fast enough to represent her country in regional competitions from a young age, she wasn’t fast enough to be getting looks from NCAA schools.

“I was not very good,” explains Lucas. “I was average. I was running 62 seconds in the 400 hurdles.”

For comparison, that time would barely qualify Lucas for the elite section of New Balance Outdoor Nationals, the national meet in high school track. Last year, she would have been the 65th fastest girl in the nation. A good time, but not necessarily what colleges were wanting.

Insert Auburn University assistant coach Henry Rolle.

Rolle, a native of the Bahamas, was in attendance at the 2002 CARIFTA Games, scouting sprinters and jumpers to join the Tigers in the SEC.

Rolle was impressed with Lucas and offered her a full-ride. He wanted her to come to Auburn, not for what she had already run but for her potential.

“He took a chance on me, and he didn’t have to,” remarked Lucas, still grateful to her collegiate coach. “Full scholarship– based on potential.”

Potential Realized

When Lucas arrived on campus at Auburn, she was surrounded by greatness.

In addition to pursuing a major in biomedical sciences, something not necessarily encouraged for athletes because of the interference between labs and competitions, Lucas ran herself to NCAA prominence.

She trained daily with teammates who excelled on the world stage. Each workout, where she was often in the back and trying her best to keep up, set the stage for improvement.

“I was training with World Junior champions, Olympians,” stated Lucas. “I was around a lot of talent. Because I was around a lot of talent, that helped me to improve as an athlete.”

Her first season at Auburn, Lucas dropped almost five seconds from her previous 400 meter hurdle time, running a still-standing freshman school record of 57.81 seconds.

Sophomore year, Lucas earned All-American honors with her 4×400 meter relay team at nationals and advanced to the first-round of the postseason individually as well.

In 2005, Lucas’ relay team replicated their All-American finish indoors. More impressively were her accomplishes outdoors: 55.59 seconds in the hurdles, two All-American honors (in the 4×400 relay and 400 meter hurdles), a national title in Trinidad and Tobago, and a trip to the World Championships.

For Lucas, this was a result of the program.

“[Coach Rolle] always had that expectation that whatever major championship there was that year, that we would qualify for that and medal: World Championships, Olympics.”

The Professional Ranks

It took until 2009 to reach the second half of her coach’s expectations.

After graduating from Auburn, Lucas continued to train and compete.

In 2008, Lucas once again represented Trinidad and Tobago in the long hurdles– this time in the Olympics.

“I still remember I stepped into the Bird’s Nest in the Beijing Olympics,” she reminisced. “Most of the competitions were at night, so I walked in, and there was all these people, all these flashes. And I couldn’t help but think ‘Wow, the entire world is watching. Don’t screw up.’”

Lucas failed to advance from the heats, ultimately recording the 23rd fastest time.

The next year, with added experience under her belt, she found herself on the world stage again.

She was more confident in her training this time, less flustered by the flashing cameras and pressure.

“The idea,” explains Lucas, “is that, in training, we always train to give our best effort at all times. So when I compete, I get in that mindset. It takes the pressure off.”

The experience and mindset payed off– Lucas advanced through the heats and semifinals easily.

In the final, Lucas got out to a fast start. When the dust settled, she trailed only rival and Olympic champion Melanie Walker, a Jamaican athlete, and American Lashinda Demus.

The race was fitting for Lucas, who had continually upped her training as her career progressed, as she broke the national record for Trinidad and Tobago, a mark she still holds, to get to the podium.

“That’s the whole reason why I train,” gushed Lucas. “To not just make the team and not just make the final, but to medal. Compete to win.”

Although Lucas was a professional for seven more years– she only retired last year– that medal marked her first and last at a global championship.

The rest of her career was marred by countless injury and rehabbing.

In 2013, while recovering from surgery, Lucas attended the Ultimate Training Camp sponsored by Athletes in Action on campus at CSU. The camp annually invites Christian athletes to locations around the US to focus on faith in sport.

“I had free time and figured why not,” said Lucas, who had always wanted to visit Colorado and did so through the camp.

While there, she was persuaded to move to Colorado and train full-time under CSU coach Karim Abdel Wahab, where she also served as an assistant coach.

Lucas recorded multiple solid finishes in her new training set-up, but by 2017 the fire had gone out.

The joy that had taken her to college, to Beijing, Finland, Brazil, Germany, and home to Colorado, wasn’t there anymore.

“I was constantly recovering from injuries,” continued Lucas. “I just couldn’t recover, couldn’t run.”

She decided to hang up her spikes and focus her energy on pursuing a teaching career.

A New Arena

Teacher isn’t a role Lucas sought out, but it’s a career path natural for her.

“I always loved education, loved students, loved figuring out puzzles,” began Lucas. “I didn’t expect to be a teacher, but I was already doing it. I didn’t want to admit that teaching is in my blood. It comes natural.”

And Lucas was a natural fit for Rocky from the get-go.

“I love the Lobo Pack Principles because I live by those principles,” said Lucas, motioning to the words hanging in the front of Brian Olver’s classroom, things she had referenced throughout the interview. “To come in and see those right there, I love that the school does all those principles.”

More than that, the science department has embraced her as well.

“She embodies the Lobo Way in every way, as far as I can tell,” mentioned Olver. “One of the things that’s made her a great fit here is because she already is Rocky in so many ways.”

Olver added that he has seen Lucas progress in her skills while at Rocky, specifically in her confidence in making engaging lesson plans. Her interpersonal skills, however, didn’t require refinement.

She blends in seamlessly to the classroom, pointing out the collaboration occurring within the department and between faculty and students.

“I’m just sorry that’s she is going to go,” added Olver. “It’s been a gift not only to me but to the students. She is going to be missed by everybody here.”

Before she moves on from student teaching at Rocky and finishes her Masters degree, with the potential to move into a coaching position, Lucas offers up words of advice.

“Whatever your talent is, explore that and pursue that to the best of your ability,” she preaches. “Do use that word: perseverance. Persevere.”

It worked for her.