The life of a young athlete can involve moments of great triumph and challenges.

Jamaica’s artistic gymnast Jamilia Duffus knows all too well about that as one her most recent triumphs — being offered a full scholarship to Talladega College in Alabama — came during one of the most challenging periods of her budding career.

While recovering from an injury, Duffus was not content with working her way back to full fitness before reaching out to prospective universities, instead she utilised her social media platform to advertise her capabilities and it wasn’t long before Alabama’s oldest private, historically black, college answered the call.

“It’s funny how it happened because I e-mailed a few coaches that I was interested to work with. But it wasn’t until I started uploading my training and competition highlights on my Instagram @jamiliagymnast, that I was able to catch the eyes of some colleges. Talladega was one of those that reached out and I couldn’t refuse,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

With uncertainty now trumped by excitement, the 18-year-old, who is wrapping up her final days at Immaculate Conception, is eagerly looking to the next chapter of her career which begins in August, with hopes of soaring to new heights.

By virtue of recruiting Duffus and others, Talladega is now the second historically black college or university to launch a gymnastics programme in the United States, following the path of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, which launched its programme earlier this year.

“Of course, this move is a big step in my gymnastics and academic career since I’d be making history not only in Jamaica but also overseas as well. I will be the first locally-trained gymnast to be recruited on a full scholarship in the inaugural class of gymnastics at Talladega College,” she explained.

“So with this opportunity coming my way, it will be a big change and challenge, but I’m excited and looking forward to it and I believe it is just the start of bigger and better things to come in my career,” Duffus added.

That declaration and the confidence behind it comes from the fact that Duffus, known as “Apple” in gymnastic circle, is still overwhelmed by the magnitude of the journey she trekked during the past year, as she continues to grasp the art of triumph in the face of adversity.

Duffus defied an injury to qualify for Jamaica’s team to the Pan-American Gymnastic Championships in Brazil last year, where she scored 39.366 All-Around.

She was joined by sisters Tyesha and China Mattis, as well as Danyella Holmes combined to score of 134.368. That secured the country a spot at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games scheduled for later this year.

“Last year really proved how resilient I am because at the start of that season, I sprained both ankles in training, three weeks before national trials. I could have decided to rest and recover but I chose not to back out of the competition because I knew that if I did, I would have lost the opportunity to represent the country at other tournaments,” Duffus said.

“Thanks to my determination and hard work, I got back to full fitness in time and later represented Jamaica at the PanAm Championships, which was a big accomplishment for me since it was my first international competition as a senior gymnast. It was also a great learning experience for me so I know what to look forward to the next time,” she noted.

Unfortunately for Duffus, that appearance at this year’s championships will not materialise, as she felt it is in her and the country’s best interest that she opt out of the team due to a lack of adequate training.

“Yea, my season started out well since I was able to get good competition highlights out for some college coaches but then I injured my shoulder and just fully recovered from that injury. Because that kept me out of training for two months, I withdrew from the championships,” Duffus shared.

It is for that reason why the soft-spoken gymnast is all the more energised by the pending move overseas which represents an opportunity to improve her craft for what she hopes will be an injury-free and successful 2024 season.

“This overseas opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time and will definitely improve my skills because I will have more experienced coaches as well as more gymnasts in my league to not only push me, but also to draw motivation from,” she stated.