Ashley Kelly’s season finally coming together ahead of Pan Am Games

Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI Pan Am Games Media Contact

British Virgin Islands’ Ashley Kelly competes in the athletics women’s 400m heats during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 9, 2018. Photo credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

LIMA Peru – As late as the end of June, Ashley Kelly was the first to admit that she’d been having a rough frustrating season. But she kept at it and even came home to decompress.

Then, in the Adam Sanford NYC invitational on July 13, she ran a 400m season’s best of 53.55 seconds to finish third. The news got even better as shortly after she was notified that she had been invited to Lima, Peru to compete in the 18th Pan Am Games.

Kelly who arrived in Lima on August 1, will face the starter’s gun on August 6 in her specialty.

“To run 53.55, was definitely the breakthrough for my season,” Kelly said. “But, running 53 for me and having that as a breakthrough, then you definitely know the trials I’ve been going through this season. It was definitely a light at the beginning of the tunnel – I say beginning, because I know I have a long way to go, to get to my normal form running 51s and being consistent.”

Kelly said the minor tweaks she made in practice will show her true form in moving forward.

“Having that happen then a few days later hearing that I’m going to the Pan Am Games was definitely like God showing his true self and showing that everything I manifested is still working in my favor, so I have to continue to keep the faith, keep grinding and keep believing in what I’m ordained to do,” Kelly, who’s making her second Pan Am Games explained. “So I’m excited about going to Pan Ams. I’ve had some season’s bests when I was in Europe. I’m continuing to stay focused, keep grinding, keep working on the things on the things my body responds to and expecting a really good showing at Pan Ams.”

The BVI’s 400m record holder said it’s not what has happened in the early part of the season, she just needs that one great performance that can turn around her entire season, something she’s looking forward to.

“If it happens at Pan Ams, then I’ll be grateful,” she said. “But I know that I have a long season to go. Pan Ams is just the icing on the cake and I’m looking forward to representing the BVI once again.”

Additional Pan Am Games reports and interviews with Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway, will be carried on CBN 90.9 FM at 5.00 p.m. through August 5th and then at 9.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., from August 6 – 11. There’s a 9 a.m. wrap up on Aug 12.