**All About Kellie**
About Kellie
Welcome to Kellie-Wells.com!
Hey, I'm Kellie L. Wells and I am a hurdler and sprinter from Richmond, Virginia. Track and field was instilled in me at a very young age. My mother and father were both athletes so I assume it was just in my blood. We were not a rich family but I had one of the hardest working mothers in the world that provided my siblings and me with the things that we wanted and needed. I have a sister who is 6 years older than me and she ran, so naturally I wanted to be just like her. Soon after, I was allowed to join one of the best teams in Richmond called Del-5 track club. I began to excel in track and this is where my relationship with the sport began. I ran all throughout elementary school and middle school, even participating on my high school’s junior varsity team.
I attended Manchester High School and later transferred to James River High School. During my time at these two High Schools I was a very successful student athlete. I won countless Dominion District and Central Regional titles and was James River High School’s first state champion in any sport. I was voted Richmond Metro Athlete of the Year and I still hold many school, district, regional, and state records to this day.
While in my junior year of high school, I experienced the greatest tragedy of my life. My mother was killed in a car accident totally uprooting my life as I knew it. That one event changed my life completely. With support from family and friends I was able to get my life back on track and keep moving forward as I know my mother would have wanted me to.
After Graduating high school, I enrolled in Hampton University. I was an immediate impact for the Lady Pirates. While at Hampton I helped lead Hampton to 4 indoor championships and 4 outdoor championship and 2 cross country championships. I was a multiple time, MEAC Conference champion, NCAA All American, as well as an Academic All American.
After Graduating from HU, I moved to Orlando, Florida to train with Dennis Mitchell. He is a world renowned coach who I knew could elevate my track and field career to another level. Within a year of relocation, I have dropped my personal best by almost .5 of a second and am looking for more success in the future!!
I believe the reason that I’m doing this is far beyond me. Every race I run, every practice I complete is for God. I was given a gift to excel at something that I love and I thank God everyday for the opportunities I am given and all of the beautiful places I have been granted to see!
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY MY SITE
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MONDAY, MAY 10, 2010
To Know Me is To Love Me......
so this is my mother's day post. i would 1st like to start out by saying happy mothers day to all of the mommies i know! you guys are the most incredible people i know. keep up the amazing work! I pray that i am blessed enough to be a mother one day and i can live up to the high standards that have been set for me.
so when i sat down to write this post, i knew it would be extremely difficult. I am about to share somethings about myself that very few people know about my upbringing. I am hoping that writing this blog will help you guys understand me a bit better.
I'm just trying to decide where to start.......
When i was about 8 my parents separated and divorced and my mother met a man named Richard "Rick" Gomes who she fell madly in love with. When i 1st met him i was a child and i was completely enamoured with him. he seemed larger than life... he was funny, athletic, smart, and not all angry like my father was.
She and Rick became very serious and we ended up moving in with him at his home. I had never seen my mother so happy or taken with a man so i was happy she was happy. As time went on I began to mature mentally and physically and i noticed things weren't as they seemed. He turned out to be the mentally and physically abusive to my mother and then started in on me. He had her spirit so broken to the point that she lost herself as a woman. She knew he was toxic to her life but couldn't leave. The more she tried to uplift herself and forward herself in life.... the more he would beat her to the ground, while my brother and I watched. This was all during my middle school days and had a heavy influence on why i got so deep into track and field and dance. I NEVER wanted to be at home so if i had a legitimate excuse to be out of the house then i was fine. Rick tried to control every part of our lives and my mother let him. She seemed to never want to upset him for fear that he would leave her and her "world" would be shattered. While enduring all of this my mother was able to hold down two and sometimes three jobs and put herself through college and also through grad school because she wanted a better future for herself.
At one point Rick was sent to jail for involuntary manslaughter. He was high and drunk and struck an oncoming car and killed a man. When he was sentenced to jail, i really thought this was our way out of his menacing grip and for a while it was, but then she couldn't help herself and she went right back. there were habitual visits to the jail, high phone bills, pinching pennies to put money on his books. He spent about six months in jail and was released... YES i know... six months for taking a life... CRAZY!
After his release from Jail, he moved back in with us and the madness commenced immediately, except there was an added element involved, the sexual abuse began. At first it was small things like comments, looks and subtle brushes accompanied with lots of attention and I saw a change in my mom's attitude towards me. She began to form jealousy towards me because i was receiving the attention she craved so much. I hated it and i tried to let her know, but the more i told her how i felt the further he took it, until one night it went too far and i couldn't take it anymore! that night i believe my innocence was taken and I would be forever changed. i told my mom what he did and she didn't believe me! she took his word over mine and let him put me out of his home. I stayed with friends alot, but when i couldn't, i stayed in the car at night and i would sneak in the house to shower and get dressed. those days were rough but someone we all made it thru.
i am going to fast forward a few years to when i was about 16. i had just started at a new school and things were actually looking up. i love my teachers, coaches and friends. I was just coming into my own on the track and became a force in the district, region, and state. i felt like i was running for my life. i wanted to get great grades and run fast so i could attain a scholar ship and move far away from Richmond Virginia. At this point in my life, my brother and I were going spending every other weekend with my dad at his house which wasn't far from my house so that was pretty cool. i was able to stay with my dad but still see my friends while i was at his house. this one particular weekend i decided to go out with my friends and was given a curfew of 11:00 pm. I was on the way home and was held up by traffic from some kind of accident, we drove by the accident and i saw a white ford explorer upside down and thought nothing more of it.
The next morning i was awakened by my father telling me to get up and come into the living room. I thought I was about to be punished for being late but when i saw my brother sitting there, i wasn't sure what to expect. my father looked at both of us and said "your Mother is DEAD!!!" I will never forget those words as long as i live. I looked over at my brother and he had one tear rolling down his cheek and that broke my heart to know that i couldn't protect him from what had just taken our world by storm.
That day forever changed me as a person. I honestly don't know how i made it. I look back at that time period in my life and i feel like it happened to someone else. like it was a movie i was watching.
My mother tried to instill certain values in me at a young age to help me mature and to have a better life than she did. She was an amazing woman who loved her children and had such a big heart for everyone around her. she was so ambitious and never wanted to settle for less with her career and she taught me not to let the thoughts and words of others dictate my self image or my future. She was by no means perfect, but was awe-inspiring in her own right.
I think about her daily and I talk to her often. I think about all of the things that i have experienced alone and i wish i had her by my side. I have gone through graduations, recitals, performances, races, and relationships on my own. I have taught myself how to be an adult, a woman, and to love on my own. I will have to pick out a wedding dress, plan a wedding, and get married with no mother beside me to hold my hand. I have gone from a little girl to a grown woman with no real road map or adult woman to guide me and I believe I am ok, maybe a little bit better than ok. I believe i am so much stronger now than i ever would have been before and it has helped me excel in track and field and in my overall life. I will admit i feel jealous of people who have mothers to call or that can be there with them to enjoy all of their accomplishments, but i know she's there... just in spirit.
This blog has been a long time coming.... I mean a VERY long time coming and it was extremely difficult. i apologize if it seems a bit all over the place... some of these things are a bit fuzzy because i haven't talked about them in a very long time.
none of these words were written to offend anyone.... i just wanted to give my friends and fans an insight into my life and where i have come from. please feel free to email me, facebook me or comment on my blog about any questions or comments you may have on anything written here. Thank you so much for taking time out to learn a little bit about me.
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2010
Bon Jour! Guadeloupe and some other stuff!
hey guys,
I'm back for another installment of Kellie's corner and i have alot to fill you guys in on. so the season is coming along and I'm so excited to be back running and traveling. I just returned from Guadeloupe where i placed 4th by .02. I will say i am not happy about that, but these are the ups and downs of track. Overall the trip was good and I learned some new things about my race. My confidence is coming back each race so I know i will be back to perfect form in no time.
I got a chance to catch up with some old friends in Guadeloupe and see how everyone is doing. I love seeing the amazing people that I haven't seen in months. we sat around laughing and filling in everyone in on our lives. Everyone is very curious about my boyfriend, who i brag about so much so plenty of questions were asked about that. I love talking about him and how happy he makes me so that's never a problem... he's awesome! We have been together for about a year and a half and he's truly a blessing! ok ok enough mush! LOL!
So the travel to Guadeloupe is always tough. Its a very small island and to get into the airport is just a nightmare. this year, we actually had the easiest trip that we have had in years. Ok so let me break it down for your guys:
Orlando to Miami- 40 mins
Lay over in Miami 2.5 hours
Miami to San Juan 2.5 hours
Lay over in San Juan 2 hours
San Juan to Guadeloupe 1.5 hours
drive to the hotel 15 mins.
We left Orlando at 9:30 am and arrived in Guadeloupe at 9:20 pm! People often ask me what is the hardest part of being a professional track and field athlete and I say the harsh travel ranks up there. Most of us aren't like NBA or NFL guys so often times we travel in coach and not in the luxury like some may think. Most trips are long early flights and fast food in airports but we still perform at the highest level possible every race. On the way home, whoever booked our tickets decided to split up Dennis from Damu and I and we all rode to the airport together. We ended up getting back to Orlando at 4:20 PM but Dennis wasn't scheduled to land until 8:30 pm, so we had the bright idea to just stay down by the airport until he landed. About 2 hours into the wait we realized this was a terrible idea. Our day started at 5:15 AM so we were already exhausted but after the wait we were delirious! We were laughing at everything and almost falling asleep in Chili's. LOL great times. Finally Dennis landed in Orlando around 9:20 and we could get back to our side of town to get some rest. We were graciously granted the day off on Monday to rest, recuperate and rehab our bodies!
I am so excited for my people graduating on Saturday and Sunday. I am pleased to say that president Barack Obama will be this year's commencement speaker at Hampton University! That's such a big accomplishment for a HBCU. I am so sad that I can't be in Virginia or in Tampa for the Ceremonies. Track and Field is a sport that takes such a great amount of dedication that we often miss very important things in the lives of our friends and family. I hate having to tell people I won't be able to make something that's very important to their lives. I know they all love me and understand my lifestyle but it still gets to me. I want to take this time to congratulate all of the 2010 graduates! I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful journey!
If you guys didn't know i have started blogging for one of the biggest African American Sports Websites called the ARHE Network (http://www.arhenetwork.com/) they have the most comprehensive site on all sports and all athletes. I feel so honored to be featured on the site and I am looking for good things to come from this.
until next time everybody!! I'm heading to Ponce Puerto Rico tomorrow to compete in a competition on Saturday so keep me in your prayers!!!
FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2010
My Rant About Tiger!
well its the day before the meet and I'm sitting here bored as hell in Miami! -imagine that- so i thought i would write something before i went out exploring. so i have been watching he news, and ESPN, and CNN, and any other channel you can think of and to hear how they are taking about Tiger Woods is amazing to me. they are making him out to be some monster, but all he did was cheat on his wife! 1st off i don't see why that's any of our business! 2ND he had consensual sex with adult women... he wasn't poking little boys in weird places or sleeping with 14 year old girls.... he just loves sex and women and there is no crime behind that. i mean, morally and spiritually its not right but we aren't God or Buddha so we can not judge. (he that is without sin may cast the 1st stone)
i am just so tired of hearing parents talk about how Tiger was supposed to be a role model for children, but why don't they step up and be their own children's role models. Tiger didn't sleep with those women to try to influence your children in a bad way, he was just doing what he wanted to do. i don't even think he tried to come off as America's nice guy... he just didn't say much. he handled his business on the golf course and then just went about his business. and i love how this whole cheating thing has spiraled into him being on HGH and all this other stuff! sheesh!
OK so that was my rant about Tiger. now i am not at all saying what he did was right, but he didn't do anything to us so i cant see why people are in such an uproar. i think the man flying over the masters competition with the banner that said :Tiger didn't you mean bootyism" was totally uncalled for, but hey this is America..... the land of free speech... but the media SUX!
uum other than my thoughts on that, its track meet time and we are in Miami. its kind of bitter sweet because i want to go out and have fun but we have to rest up for the meet. i think Selim and i are going to find a mall and do some shopping and catch a movie before dinner. well until next time folks..... pray for me to run well!
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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010
Back in action
hey yall! so yeah... im totally back in action! (with my blog and on the track)
lets see where to start... ok business first. so i opened up at florida relays and i ran 12.90! thats my fastest opener ever and i am just so happy to see a 12 by my name again. last year was so tough being injured and not being able to do what i want to do, so i am just so thankful to be back on the track. now with that being said.... that 12.90 was UGLY! LOL! i hadnt been 10 hurdles since around florida relays time last year so 8-10 were messy! i am planning to run better this weekend in miami.... i got hurt right before this meet last year so im looking to make my comback. i feel like i am still finding my way in the hurdles but i guess this is all just a part of my journey. when i got into this track game i had no idea how many twists and turns i was in store for. i just looked at the "glamorous" side of it and not all that went into the 12 seconds of glory. i am excited to see where the next couple of years takes me with these hurdles!
uum lets see what else... oh yeah, so yes the rumors are true. i changed agents. i was with Robert Wagner, who i truly did love and consider a friend, but we didnt see eye to eye on my training environment and a few other things so we had to end our working relationship. change is really scary to me because i didnt know if it was going to usher in good or bad things but i just had to pray on it and put it in God's hands. I am very protective of those I love and of myself and i wont be subjected to being talked down to or disrespected because of someone's so called status in track and field..... this life won't last forever! i am now with mark block and thats going well so far. he hs always been really cool to me when i saw him out on the circuit and i havent heard anything bad about him so i pray this works out. i dont want to be one of those athletes that jumps from manager to manager.
ok on the personal side.... hhmmm ok yeah! Selim and I are still going strong. he is an awesome guy and is always in my corner. its amazing how he always knows what to say to help me see things clearly. he is truly like my other half.... he is everything i'm not and i think thats what makes us soooo unstoppable as a couple. he is very different from most of the men that i have been attracted to or dated in the past. we have been together for about a year and a half and i am looking forward to spending my life with him... If God sees fit!
uuumm i think thats it for now.... until next time.. and i promise it wont be too long!
Contact Kellie
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Kellie L. Wells
Events: Hurdles/Sprints
Height: 5-4
Weight: 125
PR: 100h 12.58 (2008); 100m- 11.50 (2008)
Born: July 16, 1982
Current Residence: Orlando, FL
High School: James River High School
College: Hampton University 06
College Coach: Maurice Pierce
Current Coach: Dennis Mitchell
Club: Nike
Career Highlights: 2008 USA National Indoor Bronze Medalist (60 meter hurdles), 2006 NCAA All-American (60 meter hurdles, 100 meter hurdles), 2005 NCAA All-American (60 meter hurdles, 100 meter hurdles)
2008: Best of 100h 12.58 World Ranking- #10
2007: Best of 100h 12.93 World Ranking- # 29
2006: Best of 100h 13.17; all American 60 meter hurdles and 100 meters hurdles
2005: Best of 100h 13.29; all American 60 meter hurdles and 100 meters hurdles
2004: Best of 100h 13.25
2003: Best of 100h 13.96
2002: Best of 100h 14.03
GO BACK
High school
Richmond Metro Athlete of the Year
Manchester High Schools Most Valuable Athlete
Virginia athlete of the Year
State champion hurdler and sprinter
College
Hampton Universitys Track and Fields most valuable female athlete
Hampton Universitys Female overall athlete of the year
Hampton universitys overall athlete of the year
Hampton Universitys Deans list
Academic all American
Athletic All American
Virginia Sports Associations Athlete of the year
2004 USA indoor National Finalist- 4th place finish
Professional
2008 olympic trials finalist
2008 USA Indoor bronze medalist
2008 ranked within the top 10 in the USA and World
2007 Knights of Columbus Track and Field most valuable performer
