Meet Katie Rose, a freshman who only began race walking in 7th grade, moving right up to varsity level that first year and winning not 1, not 2 but 3 annual sectional patches consecutively since then!
Katie’s story begins at tryouts, track coach Jim Forbes had coached her uncle years back and he recognized a family familiarity in her gait. Forbes suggested she try race walking instead of running; he sent her home with of all things a Chubby Checkers ‘twist’ video to train with. His instructions; move your hips like Chubby Checkers when you walk and never let your feet lose contact with the ground. It was love at first step.
Midway through this, her freshman year she began training with a private coach from the RPI National Olympic Team, yes race walking is an Olympic sport! To provide her with the best experience and exposure possible in the race-walking world and to put her training to the ultimate test, Coach Forbes encouraged her to sign up for 2 different meets at Ocean Breeze Track Complex in Staten Island and 1 at the Armory Track and Field in New York City over this past year.
Well it paid off…Katie not only took honors in both sectionals and the state qualifier but was named to the Times Union 2019 Indoor Track All-Star Team, First Team, with a time of 8:06.75 for the 1500m at sectionals which, by the way, was the fastest time clocked in Section II by a margin of over 38 seconds! Go ahead, offer to race her, we dare you!
When asked, she sweetly smiles and makes it sound so darn easy, ‘It’s a technical sport, all about body form, one heel must always be in contact with the ground or it’s a disqualification.’ ‘Wrists straight, move your arms like you’re cradling a baby’. Should you want to try, the saving grace is it’s all done on a flat surface, no hills.
Her All-Star time however is a thing of the past, Katie just recently clocked a Personal Record at the Colonie Relays on May 4th of 7:57:59, yes you read that right! She broke 8 minutes!
Daughter of very proud parents, Mel and Jeannine Rose of Schaghticoke. This soon to be sophomore is enjoying every step and just looking forward to what lies down the road in what has become one very interesting choice of sport. This summer, Katie has her sights on a 5K race, we all wish you the absolute best of luck…HV is cheering you on!
The Hoosic Valley Indoor Track Team cheers Katie on to another sectional title.