Peighton Johnson of UNB Reds placed 7th at Nationals
Four years ago Baldur High School graduate Peighton Johnson was on her way to Fredericton with a Track and Field Scholarship at the University of New Brunswick. Peighton is ecstatic and grateful over all the experiences she has garnered during those four years, but competing as a Red at the National Track and Field Competition recently held at U of M University’s Max Bell Centre is a one of many special moments. Having so many family members and friends there watching and cheering her on in her last race as a Red is unforgettable.
On the final day of the U Sports Championships the Reds woman’s 4x400m relay team (Jill Langille, Katrina Stefaniuk, Peighton Johnson and Shelby MacIsaac) topped the school record by 2 seconds recording 3:51:54 for a 7th place finish. Typically 2 seconds is not huge but when you are looking at times that go into hundredths of seconds it is a huge win!
“The entire week was incredible,”said Peighton during a recent interview, “I can’t even put into words how amazing it was to have so much support from my friends and family. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, it was unbelievable more than I could ever have imagined; my heart is so full and I’m so grateful.” She paused for a moment then chuckled explaining that a guy in the stands even commented that that girl on the Reds team has the biggest cheering section out of any one!
An all round athlete in high school Peighton played volleyball, basketball, hockey; she took part in every sport the curriculum offered. When she was offered to train with Neepawa’s Prairie Storm Athletics in the ninth grade she really had no idea where it would lead. “Until then I thought running was just that, running as fast and long as you can and trying to beat everyone. But there is a lot more involved than that; its about the mechanics and starts and foot placement; everything matters,” she explained.
She fell in love with the sport and set her goals high and began talking to Chris Belof head coach of the Reds early in high school and had the opportunity to meet him when she and her parents; Travis and Brenda Johnson of Baldur went to Legion Nationals in Sydney, N.S. in 2019.
“At the time I had been offered scholarships from a few Universities but no one kept in contact with me as much as Chris, he was always checking in and I felt we had a similar mindset.” Another deciding factor was that UNB had a brand new Kinesiology department. “UNB has one of the country’s best Kinesiology departments and I can say that proudly!”
Fredericton has become her home during the past four years, and she has fallen in love with the chill vibe the east coast offers. Her friends and team mates have become a family to her; so although excited about the next phase of her life there are moments of melancholy. “Maybe I will end up back there permanently one day, but even if I don’t I know I will be visiting annually.”
Looking back on her track career she spoke of a memorable moment in her first year of competition for UNB when she won a bronze medal in the 600 meter and her team took bronze in the 4×8 and won Gold in the 4×4 where Peighton was in the anchor position. This past year Peighton has flipped between 2nd and 3rd runner.
Peighton is unsure of how her Gap year will unravel as she is planning on returning home (Baldur) for a while and then working for a few months to fund her desire to travel. Pretty much her entire life Peighton has been training for one sport or another. The organized team practices eventually evolved into a successful career in track. It all began in Baldur with either her mom or dad biking behind her as she ran, tracking her pace. The next coming year there will not be daily practices; but she does plan on staying committed to working out and continue practicing for track. “I also want to learn more about myself, find out who I am and what I am going to do.”
Having attained a degree in Kinesiology and Science leaves her with a few choices to make regarding her professional career. She knows she wants to be a therapist but hasn’t settled on a specific one yet. But one thing is clear, she is not done with her athletic career. “I may have run my last race with the Reds but I’m not completely satisfied, I know I have so much more potential and I know there is so much more out there for me in track. I’m excited to see where that will lead,” she said confidently.
The 2024 Nationals hold many precious memories for Peighton aside from their record breaking showing. Peighton and former Prairie Storm members reunited as well, “What a moment that was, we were so excited to see each other as some of us hadn’t seen each other in 3 or 4 years. There were lots of hugs and tears.” Another precious moment that Peighton mentioned was so heartfelt and genuine; “When I was at Nationals and looked up in the stands and saw an entire section of fans made up of my family and friends mostly from Baldur, the proverb “It takes a whole village to raise a child” came to mind and I thought Yes that is entirely true. I am beyond grateful and my heart is so happy for all the support I’ve have always received.”
PHOTO CAPTION: Peighton Johnson rounds the corner in the lead in their heat during the 4×400 relay at the USport Championships held at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg on March 9th. PHOTO SUBMITTED
