Postgraduate student Aisha Gay is a sprinter for the UTRGV Womenโs Track and Field Team. Transferring from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, Gay brings with her five gold medals from the Metro Atlantic Championships and a personal best of 7.81 seconds in the 60-meter dash. Gay is pursuing her second bachelorโs degree in rehabilitation services and counseling.
Q: What do you like to do for fun besides your sport?
A: โI like to braid hair for fun. I feel like I just do it [because] itโs just a stress reliever. It just kinda gets my mind off of school, track, just being a student athlete for a while.โ
Q: Do you have any shows you really like, or are watching right now?
A: โYes, I think a show I really like right now that Iโm watching is [โPower Book II: Ghostโ] with Tariq. Thatโs one of my favorite shows. I love the series of โPowerโ; itโs on STARZ. Itโs amazing. It always catches my attention.โ
Q: Is there anything youโre looking forward to soon?
A: โIโm looking forward to the last three meets. Iโm ready for championships. Iโm ready to run that. Great time to get me into the NCAA Regionals. Iโm trying to qualify and go as far as I can this semester.โ
Q: In the future, are you looking to be a pro runner?
A: โYes, I would love to be a pro runner. I think coach [Shareese] Hicks has the mechanics and the expertise to get me there โcause she was a pro runner, so Iโm just really excited. I think that after this year, Iโll definitely be able to go semi-pro, if not, fully pro.โ
Q: How did you start getting into running?
A: โI got into running when I was around 10 years old. I just went out for a summer track program. I tried cross-country. It wasnโt for me, but the coach looked at me and he was like โYou have legs. You have the body for doing sprints,โ and I went out there. I did sprints. And in high school, I took it more seriously. I started the [200- and 400-meter dash] and I just became a master at it.โ
Q: Do you have any role models?
A: โYes, I definitely would say, not trying to be cliche, but my role model definitely has to be coach Hicks. Sheโs an amazing coach. Iโve never had a coach that just puts so much detail into everything I do. I came here and said โI need to work on these thingsโ and she actually helped me work on those things. And she just, I donโt know, to me sheโs just an all around amazing person and she just happens to be one of my new role models of my track career.โ
Q: How does UTRGV compare to other track teams that you have run for?
A: โUTRGV compared to the last college I went to, it was a family there, but I feel more welcomed here. I feel like this is such a family and such a unit. We always lift each other up. We always put each other on pedestals. When someone does good, we all do good. We always cheer each other on, and I just love the support and the family behind the team.โ
–Compiled by Julien Juarez
