El Pasoan competing with Team USA
An El Pasoan is gearing up for the biggest competition of her life.
Hanks High School graduate Kendra Chambers is part of Team USA in the IAAF World Indoor Championship this weekend.
“I’m very excited. It kind of hasn’t hit me yet that I made my first team and am representing the USA at a world championship meet,” Chambers told ABC-7 over the phone from Portland, Oregon, the site of the competition.
Chambers is running the 4×400 relay with Team USA.
“We’re projected to win, which is great news, but you’ve got to get the job done and bring home the gold,” she said.
Chambers knows how to get it done. She brought home the gold as a high school track star in the state tournament, and won numerous races while attending the University of Texas at Austin.
“It’s just staying focused and believing in yourself. That’s the biggest thing: believing you can do it,” Chambers said. “Trusting my training, trusting my coach — all of those things come into play, especially when you’re going into a world championship meet.”
Once she crosses the finish line,Chambers will turn her sights to qualifying for a spot on the team representing America in the Rio Olympics in August.
“I’ve accomplished everything that I want to do and have finally made my first (national) team,” Chambers told ABC-7. “I hope that it’s my first of many teams to come.”
The world indoor championships will be live streamed online.
Click here to watch.
Chambers competes on Saturday.