Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie West.
Jamie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have a deep love for track and field, especially for the hurdles. I can still remember trying out hurdles for the first time my sophomore year in high school and being hooked! Deep down I knew these barriers had big things in store for me. As I ran track in high school and college, that love only deepened. I found success and setbacks on my road to my dreams. My last year in college I volunteered at a local Jr. High and High school to help coach their hurdlers. I quickly found an even deeper love for coaching. After graduating college, I was hired to be the girl’s head track and field coach at Davis High School. My coaching journey had begun and would take me on a road that has been unforgettable. As the years passed, I found more and more athletes, parents, and coaches reaching out to me for help with their hurdlers. I found myself spending lots of time writing up workouts, reviewing film, and setting up times at the track to help people. At the same time, my life as a mother was getting more and more busy. I realized maybe this was something I could turn into a side job, take my passion to private/club coaching. Doing that I would be able to set hours that worked around my home life. I started an Instagram page and was off and running with only 1-3 athletes at a session and charging next to nothing. The first two years were slow but by the third-year things really started to take off. I started to have more and more hurdlers, coaches, and parents reach out. Coaching has taken me to 3 different high schools where I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of hurdles. Through the private/club coaching my opportunities have led me to work with many athletes and coaches at different levels all across the state of Utah, nationally, and internationally. One of my favorite things is hosting a summer and winter hurdle clinic to hopefully give more and more athletes that love of hurdling. It has been a joy to watch these clinics grow and be able to reach so many coaches and athletes and give them tools to take home to improve their hurdling. Our most recent clinic had 60 athletes from all over Utah as well as Oregon and Wyoming. I am a firm believer that anyone can turn their passion into something to help and teach others. Coaching has brought me such a deep joy and sense of fulfillment. I love seeing athletes grow and chase their dreams. And I have learned that when anyone has someone who believes in them, they can and will accomplish things they never thought possible. While things have grown a lot in my coaching world, I still have big dreams and desires. Down the road, I would like to start a nonprofit that does day-to-week track camps for young people in poverty or abuse situations. There is such a power and freedom in running and especially hurdling.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Things defiantly started off slow. As mentioned, I only had a couple athletes to start with and was charging next to nothing. But with time, marketing, results, and word of mouth things began to grow. I think in any business if you have a good product results will speak for themselves. The other big struggle I had was finding places that would let us train. In most states there are public tracks. In Utah that is a very rare thing. So, figuring out the right avenues to rent or book tracks took some navigating.
As you know, we’re big fans of West Hurdle Training. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The business I run is a private/club track and field program that specializes in hurdle training. I meet with athletes for group sessions twice a week for an hour and half to give them elite hurdle training. I also offer one on one sessions that athletes can set up where they get training that is specialized for their needs. I have an amazing assistant coach Ruby Waltman who helps at group sessions and also offers one on one sessions. I have coached hurdles for over 16 years. I have been fortunate to have had success in coaching 5 State Record holders, 15 individual State Champions, and 72 State placers (placed top 6). On the international level, I had the opportunity to online coach and work with Indias u23 National Champion in the women’s 400 hurdles. I have a deep care for the athletes I get to work with. While they are an athlete, they are a person first to me. I love teaching them tools that help on the track and more importantly in life. My goal is to help athletes set goals, work towards those goals, and achieve them.
Pricing:
- Group Sessions $20 – Hurdle training for the group. Limit 13 athletes per group session. Once 13 spots are filled the session will be full. In group training we focus in on the important parts of training for the season we are in. 1. Fall/Off-season training – Focus – plyometrics, endurance, speed, hurdle and sprint technique and speed 2. Indoor Season Dec – Feb. Focus – Race rhythm and speed, hurdle and sprint technique and form, block starts, endurance training. 3. Outdoor Season March – June- Finalizing race plans and steps, race rhythm and speed, Hurdle and sprint technique and form, fine-tuning block starts.
- One-on-One Sessions $50 – One on one sessions offers in-depth coaching where specific needs are able to be addressed and met for the athlete.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.westhurdletraining.com
- Instagram: @westhurdletraining
Image Credits
Nate Athay
