It’s been decades since this area was represented on the track in the Summer Olympic Games but that may change in the coming years.
Leamington’s Dakari Milks is turning heads in the world of track and field and he’s got his eye on the ultimate goal.
The Grade 12 student athlete at Leamington District Secondary School is coming off one of his best track seasons ever, and now holds or shares in five records.
He’s got a full-ride scholarship and has committed to Eastern Michigan University in the fall.
After dominating the track at SWOSSA this spring, he joined five other LDSS athletes at OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) June 5-7 in Toronto.
LDSS track and field coach Kelley Cavanagh says she watched him as a long-jumper in Grade 9 and once he won the triple jump that year, he began to focus on post-secondary goals.
“He’s got a great work ethic,” she says. “Not just in sports, but academics too.”
She credits his maturity with being able to make decisions with the long goal in mind.
Case in point: At the OFSAA championships, Milks was competing in the 100m Senior Men’s final when he felt his hamstring tighten near the finish line. He finished second to Canadian record holder Wyatt Lee, but then made the decision to withdraw from the 200m preliminaries — his strongest event — out of an abundance of caution.
“Most athletes would try to push through it, but Dakari has bigger goals in mind and didn’t want to take any chances,” says Cavanagh. “It was such a mature decision and we’re supportive of whatever he decides.”
Cavanagh says that Milks is the proud owner of four OFSAA medals and he’s always finished in the top eight, even in his previous events of long jump and triple jump.Milks made the decision in Grade 11 to switch to the sprint events from the jumping events and he hasn’t looked back.
He is also a member of Border City Athletics where he competes in club events, such as the New Balance Nationals, a meet being held this week at the University of Pennsylvania.
Of course, his ultimate goal is to compete at the Olympics, but before he can do that, he has his sights set on the 2026 U20 World Championships, where he hopes to be part of Team Canada.
“My goal right now is to make the Canadian National Team and my big goal is to compete at the Olympics,” he said.
Milks currently owns five records: the 200m record for WECSAA, SWOSSA and OFSAA West, and also the 100m record at SWOSSA. He also shares the record for the 100m at OFSAA West Regionals.
His absence from the Lions track and field team next year will be noticeable, but Cavanagh says there are youngsters ready to step up and carry the torch.
Meanwhile, Dakari Milks will continue his trek toward the big stage of the Olympics and the next three years should provide a special challenge for him.
Dakari Milks celebrates a recent victory.
Photo by Brad Reiter
