In a recent boost to their athletic program, the UTSA Roadrunners have signed Olympian and NCAA Division II National Champion Fatoumata Kabo as part of their track and field expansion, a move that's set to enhance the team's performance in sprints and hurdles for the 2024-2025 season, reported by San Antonio Report.
The 22-year-old Senegal-born sprinter, who was raised in Carpenedolo, Italy, is currently preparing for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where she will compete in the 4x400m relay on August 9 and 10; her performance at the Italian Championships notched a personal best of 52.24 seconds earning her the coveted chance to represent Italy, a country known for its dynamic presence in international athletics and now with Kabo onboard they will look to push their limits further.
According to a conversation with the San Antonio Report, Kabo shared insights into her training regiment and her mental resilience. "I learned that I can be mentally strong, more than I thought. I learned that more than valuing the word “motivation,” I had to focus more on “discipline” because sometimes it happened that I didn’t feel like training but I had to go anyway because it’s my duty and it’s what I need to go strong in competition," Kabo explained.
Transitioning to life in Texas hasn't been without its challenges for Kabo, after her initial stretch at Angelo State University she endured hardships - an injury-marred her first semester, and the culture and language barriers nearly drove her to leave, "My first semester was tough, I even thought about leaving everything and going back home. As soon as I arrived in Texas, I spent the night at Whataburger; it was cold. I felt abandoned. I didn’t know anyone. There was a very high language barrier, and for the first few periods I hardly spoke to anyone, either at school or during practice (except with my French teammates and the Italian) " in a statement obtained by the San Antonio Report. Kabo viscerally recounted her struggle. Yet it was the same tenacity that drove her to excellence on the track that propelled her to persevere academically and socially in her new environment; Kabo's determination to honor her scholarship and showcase her talents saw her overcoming adversity and gradually embracing life in the U.S.
Coming to UTSA presents new horizons for Kabo, especially with coaches who, as she excitedly notes, "The thing I am most excited about is getting to know Coach Jackie [Richards] and Kareem [Streete-Thompson] in person, because they made a very good impression on me; they took an interest in me as a person and my family, and that means so much to me. It is a coach-athlete relationship that I like: good communication."
