Former Jamaican high-school star athlete Christopher Taylor says he is thriving in Florida where he is training under the guidance of internationally acclaimed coach Rana Reider.
‘Cubby’ as he called enjoyed an outstanding career while in high school at Calabar High. He won multiple titles at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships, a World Youth 400m title in 2015 and a Pan Am Junior 200m title in 2017. He was a silver medalist in the 400m at the 2018 World U20 championships and he won 10 gold medals at the Carifta Games.
However, in 2019, injury blighted his final year in high school and saw him dethroned as the 400m king. In addition, the injury forced him to withdraw from the 200m as Calabar relinquished the Mortimer Geddes Trophy for the first time in eight years.
It later became known that the now 20-year-old Taylor was suffering from serious muscular injuries that required an extensive period of rest and recovery. It was during that period that he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to heal and train under the guidance of world-renowned coach Rana Reider.
Taylor tells Sportsmax.TV that things have been going very well.
“Training overseas is a new experience for me that I greatly appreciate. It pushes me to train to the best of my ability and I have gained a level of confidence that I never thought I would have after leaving high school,” he said.
“It is an awesome feeling to know you are able to get motivation from your team members simply because they have my best interest at heart. Transitioning from training at Calabar to Tumbleweed track club went smoother than I had imagined. There is a more organized training structure, the coach takes the time to understand you as an athlete and the training camp feels more like a family home.”
Coach Reider has had tremendous success as a coach. The 49-year-old American, at one point or another, has guided the careers of two-time 200m World Champion Dafne Schippers, Olympic and World Champion triple jumper Christian Taylor, British Olympian Adam Gemili, as well as Olympic and World Championships medalist Andre De Grasse.
In addition to Taylor, he currently works with Jamaican athletes Olympic and World Champion Omar McLeod, Brittany Anderson, Tyquendo Tracey and Christania Williams.
Taylor believes Reider has demonstrated the characteristics and qualities that will help him develop and improve as an athlete and get him closer to realizing his full potential.
“Training with Rana Reider is one of the best feelings knowing that I am being trained by a coach that has trained Olympics and World Championships medalist,” he said.
“His training so far has been very effective and it has been great! He is a no-nonsense coach but looks out for our best interest. His training methods are unbelievable, but they do give results.”
Taylor said it also helps that he is now healthy once again in an environment that encourages him to improve, what with his fellow Jamaicans around him daily.
“I have fully recovered from my injuries and I am 100 per cent healthy at the moment. If I should compare my health now to that of the past, I would say I am very much healthier than before, keeping a strict routine and maintaining a positive mindset,” he said.
“Having other Jamaican athletes in the training camp makes it easier for me to adjust from the energy received. It makes you excited for training knowing that you will get the vibe, the push and motivation from your teammates during training sessions. “