After spending two years at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, former Rusea’s High thrower Tiwani Myles is packing her bags and heading to South Carolina where she will take up a track and field scholarship at Newberry College in the NCAA Division 2.

Myles, who was an outstanding athlete at Rusea’s High, where she was coached by her brother Rodrick, did not compete a lot at UWI, Mona due to injuries, including tendonitis and ganglion cyst, before deciding that a change of scenery could be best for her.

And while she said she wanted to stay with her Coach Julian Robinson at UWI, who she said she had every confidence that he could take her to the next level, Tiwani said situations outside of her control dictated that she should leave.

“I haven’t competed because I had an injury that was suspected to be serious at first. I was ordered by a doctor not to train or compete, but after medical test results came back, deep analysis and rehabilitation was done, but sadly it took an entire season. However, for my second season I was ready to start competing, I had competed at few meets, but because of the spread of COVID-19 my second season practically fell apart,” she told the Jamaica Observer West.

Myles, who was studying psychology while attending the university, noted that she will switch to nursing at Newberry College, adding that she was also allowed to transfer most of her credits from UWI.

In high school, the athlete, who started on the track before she was guided to the throws, was a consistent medallist at local events, but the highlight of her career so far, she said, was placing fifth at the 2018 Penn Relays with her personal best 45.62m.

Her expectations at Newberry, she pointed out, is “to be better as an athlete with the assistance of my coach and working and training hard to win titles.”

“Yes, of course I have set goals, my main goal right now is to get a distance over 50 metres in my next competition,” she stressed.

Myles, who turned 22 years old earlier this month, is forever grateful to her brother.

“I want the world to know that Rodrick Myles made me into the athlete I am, I wasn’t a talented athlete, I was made into one, he took me from running to jumping to throwing… and because of that I am still being offered multiple scholarships up to this point,” she argued.