Goule-Toppin Celebrates 20 Years in National Colours While Battling to Be Fit for Tokyo
Natoya Goule-Toppin is celebrating 20 years of representing Jamaica on the international stage, but the veteran middle-distance star is currently facing a tough race against time to be fit for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The country’s long-time 800m standout has been nursing a nerve issue in her lower hamstring that disrupted her training during a critical phase of her season. The injury first flared up during a workout in early June and lingered through the national championships, severely limiting her ability to perform at her best.
“Back in the first week of June, during practice, I wasn’t able to finish my workout because of a nerve issue in my lower hamstring. I did lots of treatment on it, but it didn’t start getting better until about two weeks after trials (in late June), but I had lost a lot of training time,” she explained. “I wasn’t able to do any speed work, and even if I did a workout, I wasn’t able to finish sometimes. Due to the lack of speed and speed endurance, my performance in competition declined. But I am back doing speed training now and I am happy about it.”
Despite those setbacks, Goule-Toppin remains hopeful that she will be ready to compete when the world’s best gather in Japan this September.
“Yes, I’ve missed having consistent training, and that caused a lot of setbacks, but thank God I’m getting back into the swing of things now and looking forward to once again to representing Jamaica in Tokyo later this year. I think that everything will come together in due time,” she said.
Now 34, Goule-Toppin has been the face of Jamaican middle-distance running since she burst onto the regional scene as a teenager. Looking back on her two-decade journey in the national colours, she is filled with pride.
“To represent Jamaica for two decades is something that I look back on and say to myself, you have come a long way. When I first represented Jamaica on the international scene, I was only 13 years old, going on 14. It was my first Carifta Games, my first time travelling outside of Jamaica, and I was able to win both the 800 and 1500. I view this achievement as something special because not many people get the chance to achieve that,” she said.
Since her injury, Goule-Toppin has returned to competition and, while not yet in peak form, she has drawn encouragement from her performances and the signs of progress.
“I am super excited about certain things that I saw in the few races I did because I was not able to do certain workouts that would have helped me to perform better than what I did at these competitions, so now I’m looking forward to my next competition and just having faith that it will come together at the right time. God is with me,” she said.
Her health is steadily improving, and she believes she will be ready in time for the championships.
“The status of my health is about 90 per cent. I am still experiencing some numbness in my quad and IT band, but the numbness has reduced and that’s an indication that it is getting better. I think I will be ready for the World Championship. I have more than enough time,” she explained.
( The (IT) iliotibial band is a tendon that can rub against your hip or knee bones. The swelling and irritation can cause several symptoms. You might need physical therapy, medications or, rarely, surgery.)
Still, competing below her usual standard has taken a toll on her mentally.
“It has been a challenge because when I perform, I don’t perform to my full potential and when I see the results, it just makes me feel like I am not fit enough and I know it’s a lie. I know I am better than the results are showing and I know it will come together in due time,” she said.
With Tokyo just weeks away, Goule-Toppin is leaning on faith, experience and resilience in her bid to once again fly the Jamaican flag on the global stage.
