What you may not know about Cane Bay High鈥檚 T&F coach Aleen Bailey
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — 鈥淏e humble in victory and gracious in defeat.鈥� These words were the best advice Aleen Mae Bailey (40) was ever given during her athletic career, and ones that have certainly come to define who she is.
Many Cane Bay residents may know Aleen Bailey as a track and field coach at Cane Bay High School. Aleen coaches both male and female ages 11 to 18, and they also have a few middle school students on their team.
But what you may not know about Aleen, is that she is a track and field sprint specialist, competing internationally for Jamaica. At the Athens 2004 Olympic games, she received a gold medal in the sprint relay for team Jamaica. She is also a World Champions gold, sliver and bronze medalist as well. Aleen has spent 30 years competing in Track and Field, and has been very successful during her athletic career.
During her academic years, Aleen competed at the following schools: Vere聽Technical High聽School (1999), Barton County Community College (2001),聽and the University Of South Carolina (2006). And for all you Gamecocks fans out there, Aleen is in the USC Hall of Fame.
There is so much Aleen loves about the sport of track and field. She cherished being able to travel the world and being able to compete in some聽amazing聽places. She also added: 鈥淚t allowed me to have a positive impact on others, I love the聽self-discipline聽it taught me, and I love food so being able to sample different countries food was heaven for me.鈥� As a Jamaican, it is also fitting that her pre-game ritual involved listening to Bob Marley. Before each completion, Aleen would meditate and listen to his song 鈥淐ould You Be Loved鈥� on repeat while shadow boxing and dancing.
Her personal goals and dreams in track and field were ones she was blessed to see come to pass. Aleen shared that she simply wanted to: 鈥淩epresent my country at the聽Olympics聽and win a medal,聽make聽my country and family聽proud, to聽be an inspiration to others that聽no matter where you are from or you聽circumstance聽that you and be and do聽remarkable things.鈥� Her positive attitude and perspective has certainly continued to inspire others working towards their dreams.
As we all know, goals and dreams don鈥檛 come easy. We all face challenges along the way, especially if we set out to do anything worthwhile. For Aleen, her biggest challenges were staying injury free and mentally tough, which she went to therapy聽for聽both during her career.聽She also had a nutritionist, because she understood that what you put in your body聽helps it heal and keep you healthy.
Aleen has a lot of great wisdom to share from her decades of competing, especially when it comes to being a part of a team and working with a coach. Being part of a team taught her how to work with others, as well as understanding each other鈥檚 differences. This is vital for a team to succeed and work together, and is now something she can teach the students she coaches. A mistake she shared making while competing actually involved not fully trusting in her coach. She shared: 鈥淚 thought I knew more than my coach. But I learned to listen to him because he knew my ability and what I can achieve.鈥� Overcoming her mistakes and trusting in her coach ultimately made her a better athlete. A piece of advice that she hasn鈥檛 forgotten from a coach was this: 鈥淪tay focused on your goals and never allow anyone to define who you are, always be humble and kind, pain is weakness leaving the body.鈥� By staying focused and humbled over the years, Aleen saw great success and was able to keep pushing through various challenges.
Outside of track and field, Aleen enjoys reading, spending time with her family and friends, going to concerts and she loves to cook. She is also the聽Vice President for the Berkeley County Exchange Club and Director of Excel Club. 鈥淚 don’t just want to be a positive influence on my athletes but also my home away from home,鈥� Aleen shared. 鈥淏eing involved in those clubs allows me to be of service to the community.鈥� Aleen moved to Summerville with her coach who is the head women’s coach at CSU. Later she tore my hamstring, which although was difficult it became a blessing in disguise– she met some amazing people who she now calls family and fell in love with the city聽and decided to stay.
A word of advice for anyone training or working toward a goal Aleen would like to leave you with is this: 鈥淲rite your goals down and do your best to聽achieve聽them and schedule regulate weekly meetings聽with yourself聽to聽make sure you are on task, always give聽yourself聽grace. Be patient and kind to聽yourself聽nothing comes easy it will take聽demanding聽work; it聽is only聽considered聽failure if you聽did not聽learn from it. Bust most importantly trust聽the creator聽and the process.鈥�
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