MEET CCC’S HEPTATHALON CHAMPION AND WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR, CHELSEA BONE

By Travis David V Whittaker

Clackamas Community College’s track and field athlete Chelsea Bone almost walked away from the sport she now loves as a college sophomore.

Her work ethic and dedication to excellence has landed her a full-time scholarship, and at CCC for the 2016-2017 school year, also to a four-year school she plans on attending in the fall.

Bone also won the 2017 Northwest Athletic Conference multi-event women’s Heptathlon.

The Clackamas Print: How long have you been participating in track and field?

Chelsea Bone: Since seventh grade.

TCP: What got you involved in track and field?

CB: It was more of a social thing. Everyone did track and field in middle school and then I kind of stayed with it up until now. I didn’t want to do track my sophomore year [of high school] because I was kind of struggling with if I wanted to be a sprinter or finding things that I was good at. My dad pushed me not quit and I kept doing it through my sophomore year when I started to throw javelin and it’s when I found something that I was good at.

TCP: What influence do your family members have that keep you going with a passion to keep getting better?

CB: My parents are the supporters. They know I love track and they know how hard I work to do it. My mom will make me lunches for each meet. What drives me is wanting to get better every day and strive to be on a scholarship.

TCP: Last season you were on a half scholarship for track and field and now you are on a full-time scholarship. What are some of the requirements to reach that level?

CB: As a freshman, you have to meet a certain requirement. You have to run a specific time or you have to throw a specific distance or jump a certain distance or height. Sophomore year, you just discuss how many points you score at NWACs. You can earn 10 points per term and you have to be at 30 points to be at a full-time scholarship level.

TCP: What interested you in coming to Clackamas?

CB: Keoni (McHone, head coach) came out to watch me at a meet in high school. I was thinking about going to a four-year school just because I was thinking about the four-year experience and not doing track. When I heard about the opportunity to do track here, I jumped on that.

TCP: Do you do any training on your own or have a strict daily routine that you follow throughout your day?

CB: It’s pretty strict in the winter and spring because we have practice Monday through Friday and then meets on Saturdays. I try to be up by 8:30 a.m. so I can be at my 10 a.m. class. I’ll make a smoothie every morning that consists of spinach, protein and berries and stuff like that. Friday mornings I will sleep in because I don’t have class. I try to be asleep in bed by 11 o’ clock so I can get my eight to nine hours of sleep.

TCP: Being a high-level athlete, do you try to eat good foods?

CB: I don’t eat fast food and if I do it’s on rare occasions. Every couple of weeks I will go out and eat to a restaurant. I try to avoid the sweets. Mostly, I try to eat the lean meats, lots of veggies and lots of vitamins.

TCP: What are your plans for transferring to another college after this year?

CB: I am committed to Concordia University where I will be studying business marketing and I will be on a scholarship participating in track there.

This interview has been edited for clarity and space.