Liberty Tour Sparks Steenburn’s Athletic Career

amara steenburn-in actionOne of the most intriguing things about achieving any amount of athletic success is that most Athletes have no problem recalling from where they started, as if it were just yesterday.  Even with all of the excitement of selecting the right College, setting University Records, or winning Gold Medals, it takes only seconds to go back to the day when it all began; and quickly recalling that moment in time brings great humility to the accolades of the present day.

As a member of the Glencadia Bullets Track & Field team in Kinderhook, NY since 2008, Amara was just beginning to get a feel for what this Individualized Team Sport, as it is often called, had to offer her, as the options were so different from any other sport.  How does one choose whether they should Sprint, Jump, Vault, or Throw?  Is there a particular body shape or size that is best suited for any of the Track & Field events?  There was only one way to find out, and that was to compete against others, and then evaluate the performances.  She got that chance when the Glencadia Bullets introduced her to the Liberty Tour Track & Field Series, which began in 2005, and is now hosted by the Empire State Sports Council.  “As a Sprinter myself, and having coached many Sprinters over the years (with and without “raw” skills), my eyes are always scoping the talent at every meet”, quips Executive Producer of the Liberty Tour Series, Anthony Mills.  He adds, “Amara was a very typical gangly Athlete when she began, and wasn’t exactly sure how to get her body to do the things necessary to take, what appeared to be raw talent, and channel it to more fine motor skill movements, but she continues to develop, and it is almost scary what she could accomplish, as she hones her skills.”

In 7th grade she competed for the modified Track & Field team at Taconic Hills High School.  With the aerobic endurance and speed to run the 400m Dash, she did not lose one race that year, and as an 8th grader, she moved up to the Varsity team and became very competitive.  Upon moving to the Albany Academy for Girls (AAG) in 9th grade, she was required to run Cross Country as a Fall training event to develop some of the conditioning for both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field.  Amara has set numerous records at AAG in both Individual and Relay events.  Her time of 13.0 seconds in the 100m (FAT) is just .01 seconds off the school record.  Andthat is just one event!  Did I not mention that she also happens to Long Jump, Triple Jump, Hurdle, and High Jump?  How absent minded of me!  Scroll down further for a complete list of Amara’s athletic accomplishments.

amara steenburn-hartford

With a complete Training Schedule filled with good nutrition, Strength Training, and Sprint workouts, Amara Steenburn has a packed weekly schedule, and that only prepares her for a much busier schedule as a Division I, University of Hartford student athlete.  Amara continues to fuel the competitive fire inside, not yet realizing all that she can accomplish, but she does understand that it always takes a Spark to get that fire to burn!

For more information on the Empire State Sports Council, just check out their website at www.ESSportsCouncil.org.  You will be able to access information about all of their 2013-14 Annual Events and Programs, especially the 4th Annual Liberty Games, which is slated for July 10th – 19th in 2015.

Athletic Achievements:

   2006-2011:

    Competitive Horseback Riding:

  • Multiple Medals and Plaques in Woodstock Riding Club
  • Grand Champion – Connecticut Horse Show

   2008 – 2013:

   Empire State Winter Games – Snowshoe Sprints

  • 1 Bronze, 1 Silver and 10 Gold Medals in 100M, 200M & 400M Sprints
  • Also ran in an International Snowshoe Race in Lewiston, Maine – 3 Gold, 1 Silver (in college division) and was asked by Canadian Coach to run on their relay sprint team (Bronze Medal). 

   2007 – Present:

   High School Varsity Sports:

  • Albany Academy For Girls Track:
    • Outdoor: 200M, 400M, 4X400M, 4X200M, Sprint Medley, Long Jump School Records
  • Tied 100M School Record
    • Indoor: 45M, 55M, 300M, Long Jump School Records
    • Captain 2012 / 2013 Cross Country Team
    • Captain 2012/2013 / 2014 Indoor Track Team
    • Captain 2013/ 2014 Outdoor Track Team
    • 2013 Section 2, Division III 300M Champion
    • 2013 Section 2, Division III State Qualifier 300M
    • 2014 Section 2, Division III State Qualifer 100M, 400M and Long Jump     

   2014: Accepted a D1 Scholarship to the University of Hartford to run Track and Field