Diamond Picou

• Grade: 10
• Sport: Track 
• Position: 100 meters
• Age Started Playing: 13 

How would other people describe you as an athlete? 

I was talking with my friend, and they told me I was cool with track.

How and why did you start playing? 

Originally, I was in cheer for almost my entire life, but then I started to like track because my coach had kept asking me to do it, and I eventually told my mom that I wanted to do track. She told me to choose between cheer or track, and I was like, “I’m going to choose track.”

Describe how you prepare before a game/tournament. 

The first thing we do is warm up or stretch, and then we practice on the track before the events start.

What do you think your reputation is as an athlete?  

At first, a lot of people had opinions about me, saying I’m terrible at track because I came from Fallbrook Academy, where we didn’t even have a track. My form was terrible, and I was just running. Then coach (Victor) Bennett helped me fix my form and stuff, and now I’m getting better. But all I have to do is work on my starts, so I will be focusing more on that.

What personal superstitions or traditions do you have before, during or after a game?  

At first, I used to eat very little because I was scared of throwing up, but I just realized I don’t throw up easily unless my stomach really hurts. Sometimes I will eat healthy things and not terrible things. I also make sure that I’m stretched and that I’m warmed up enough but not too much because that might make me lose some energy. Also, right before my event or before they call it, I pray and say to myself to get at least third place.

Tell us about your favorite memory as an athlete either on or off the field.

My favorite memory was when I got third place in eighth grade. I have never gotten first place, but then in the ninth grade at our first home game, I was like, “OK, you got this,” and I ended up getting first.

Tell us the story about what you are most proud of yourself for. 

After I had to choose between cheer and track, I decided to join dance to have that feeling of at least being able to dance just a little bit because in cheer, you dance, flip, get thrown, and stuff. So, I was really happy to join dance, especially to find out that now I’m in fifth period where I get to do more dances.

Who is someone you are thankful for and why?  

I’m thankful for my parents because they supported my decision to quit cheer and do track, and they supported me in track. My mom is always like, “You want to be like (Olympic champion) Sha’Carri Richardson? Then get like her.”

What advice would you give to people that may want to play your sport?  

No matter what people say, keep pushing. Don’t let that push you to quit a sport and dislike a sport because no matter what, deep down, you like that sport, so do not quit because of other people.

What’s on your bucket list?  

I really want to eat cheesecake. I have never had cheesecake, and I also want to travel more because I’m always in the house, especially after COVID-19.

Favorites

• Team Tradition: Pray 
• Post Game Meal: Fruits
• Exercise: Weight lifting 
• Drills: Weighted runs
• Song: “Funny Thing” by Thundercat 
• Movie: “A Silent Voice: The Movie”
• Coach: “All of my coaches”