June 9, 2005
(Editor's note: This story appeared in the June 8, 2005, edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram by staff writer Charles Polansky. The Star-Telegram can be viewed at www.star-telegram.com.)
UT-Arlington freshman Quinchun Carey was born May 31, 1984. His heartwarming story of perseverance, though, began long before.
"To this point, it's an unbelievable success story," UTA assistant track coach Kyle White said.
Beginning Thursday, Carey is scheduled to compete in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Carey is the only member of UTA's track team to get to nationals, and the only freshman among the 26 long jump competitors.
In a sense, Carey's life story began even before his mother, Joleen Carey, was born White Joleen was still in the womb, her mother was in a major car accident. Serious brain damage, doctors said, would force Joleen to live her life in a vegetative state. She wouldn't walk. She wouldn't talk. She wouldn't be able to do much of anything.
On all accounts, the doctors were wrong.
"The doctors said one thing, but God said another," said Joleen who remains deeply religious. "I'm just a living, walking testament on Earth." Joleen, whose speech is slightly impaired, had three children -- two daughters and then a son she named Quinchun -- and raised them by herself. Joleen's children saw their mother teased because of the way she spoke.
"I did what I could to raise them by myself with nobody's help but God's," Joleen said. "They saw how I had to rely on different things to help me." All three of Joleen's children have gone to college. Her middle child, daughter Delaina, is at Texas A&M on a full academic Scholarship and is on track to graduate next December.
"Sometimes my mom didn't east to feed us," Quinchun said.
The sacrifices Joleen made aren't lost on the humble Quinchun, who graduated from Eastern Hills High School in 2002, after a standout track and field career. Great things were on the horizon.
But not immediately. A college scholarship fell through when Texas A&M offered him only enough money to cover the cost of books. Also, he was needed at home because of family issues.
After one year, Quinchun enrolled at UTA for the fall semester in 2003 but couldn't compete for the track team until he established eligibility. For two year's Quinchun bummed rides to and from UTA either from his girlfriend or his mother, but drives the bus for his family's neighborhood church. No matter what it took to get to school and practice, he got there.
Quinchun had a so-so indoor season but has really come into his own this spring. In mid-May, Carey upset Texas State senior Brian Veal -- the favorite to win the national championship this week -- to win the Southland Conference title.
Carey, who also competed in the triple jump and runs a leg on UTA's 4x100-meter relay team, is seeded 18th, but White thinks he could easily finish in the eight and earn All-American honors which would be shocking considering where he was last fall.
"I was a little concerned because No. 1 he took a year off," White said. "I had no idea he'd do well, especially after he had a mediocre indoor season. Now that I look back, you remind yourself how long he is." At one meet, Carey jumped off the wrong foot and nearly set a personal record.
"I've been coaching for 15 years and I've maybe seen a few people something like that," White said. "He's among the best I've ever had, talent-wise."
Understandably, Carey's sisters and mother are exceeding proud of what he has accomplished. In fact, his oldest sister Khesslyn thinks this is only the beginning.
"I'm just looking forward to the day where I see him in the Olympics," she said. "When he was out of school for a year, I was like `Go ahead and do what you need to do. It's be OK because you're going to the Olympics.' "I have that much faith because he's that good."
Now that would be a neat story.
