Published March 2, 2008
By Celeste Smith
The Charlotte Observer
The swift and the smart -- like Charlotte Latin School student-athlete Malai Walker -- get to rub shoulders this summer with retired Gen. Colin Powell, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and environmentalist Claes Nobel, of the Nobel Prize family.
Walker, an 18-year-old senior, will participate in the 2008 U.S. Scholar-Athlete Games in Rhode Island.
Athletic competition is just one part of the weeklong event.
In addition to hearing influential speakers such as Powell, Wiesel and Nobel, students also participate in discussion groups. This year's themes include the environment, world peace, ethics and journalism, sportsmanship and other topics.
Walker, whose first name is pronounced "ma-LAY-a," should feel right at home -- she's a multisport athlete who specializes in track and field as a sprinter. Her last GPA was around 4.1, boosted with advanced placement and honors classes. She will head to UNC Chapel Hill this fall on an athletic and academic scholarship.
She talked last week about how she balances books and sports (her remarks are edited for brevity):
How track caught on: It's quite funny. I started running in eighth grade, in Carmel Middle School. It was really random. My friends were like, Malai, just come out. I was playing volleyball and basketball as well. Then I came to Latin. In sophomore year, I realized track and field is my niche. Track has opened a lot of doors for me.
The turning point: At the Taco Bell Invitational in Columbia in 2005, I met my trainer, Trent Guy (Sr.). Since that day I've been training both at school and with him. He really changed my entire running style. I dropped my time by two seconds within one year.
A typical day: I try to get homework done during free periods during the day. During basketball season, for example, I'll go to practice two hours, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Then from 7-8 p.m. I'll work with my trainer. Then I get home at 9 or 9:30 and go to bed. I've followed this routine since ninth grade. Time management is so important to me.
Observations from her Charlotte Latin School coach, Ngaio Carlisle, who nominated Walker to the games: "She just worked extremely hard to get to where she (is) ... She's always in the library working, or in a classroom somewhere. She's very, very focused and proportions her time extremely well."
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