BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - IN a sport where the average career span is normally eight to 12 years, Kittitian and Nevisian sprint ace Kim Collins has enjoyed a career spanning 20 years and is still considered one of the fastest men on the track even at 39-years-old.
But what is Collins' secret to his longevity?
In an interview with the media at the CARIFTA Games, Collins indicated that there is no secret.
"It comes down to love; I still love what I do! The secret is, there is no secret. Every day we learn something new and different and I try to explain to people if you are in school you are not going to study Maths, English and Science at the same time, you study one subject at a time.
"Track and field is the same thing! If you are doing starts, that's all you do. If you are doing speed work, that's all you do and your body remembers that."
He indicated that problems occur when one is doing too much in a short space of time.
"When you try to combine everything in one day or one session that is where the problem comes in."
Collins first attempt at major championship was at the 1996 Olympics, where he qualified for the second round in the 100m. But his greatest achievement however came in 2003 when became World Champion in Paris.
Running in lane one, Collins became a rare winner from the inside lane with his 10.07 seconds being just enough to edge a blanket finish with Trinidad's Darrel Brown and Britain Darren Campbell, who both clocked 10.08.
The victory came as a shock to many as the race featured the likes of Dwain Chambers and the then world record holder Tim Montgomery. But Collins upset the odds and recorded the first ever gold medal achieved by an athlete from St. Kitts and Nevis in the history of the World Championships.
At 39, Collins still blazes the track and is undefeated in the 60 metres thus far in 2015. He has also expressed his willingness to compete at the 2016 Rio games as a 40-year-old sprinter.
