On Feb. 15, 2016, Westly Robinson stepped off an airplane to a country of new beginnings. He had just left his home country of Nigeria and was ready to take advantage of every opportunity that came his way.
“It was the first time I had ever been on a plane,” Robinson said. “The flight was nine hours, but it was amazing. After a six-year wait, I was able to see my mom. It was refreshing and I felt at home.”
Robinson enrolled in Neff Elementary and begin competing in both sports and the classroom.
“I couldn’t wait for the first day so I could register for school. It was super fun. As I got older, I began to make more friends. A coach in middle school noticed that I was one of the fastest kids and he encouraged me to run track, so I did,” Robinson said.
Robinson brought his openness to trying new things with him to Sharpstown High School.
“Wesley’s kind of the jack of all trades,” said Sharpstown track and field coach Matt Torres. “He does everything for us. He’s an all-district performer for us in football. He was on the varsity soccer, basketball and baseball team. He’s our top golfer, and today he’s our only track athlete going to regionals.”
Robinson has played all six sports since his freshman year. With a current GPA of 3.98, Robinson believes it all boils down to good time management and communication.
“You have to really be on top of your time and do your work in class. Communicating with your coaches is also very important. I’m a big believer that you have to have good grades in order to have the privilege to play sports. Never give yourself excuses,” Robinson said.
On the same day as the area track meet Robinson was also scheduled to attend an area golf tournament he qualified for. However, due to the inability to be in two places at once, Robinson decided to attend the track meet, as he felt that was his better opportunity to qualify for regionals. The decision came out in Robinson’s favor as he jumped under his PR of 21.9-feet but was still able to qualify for the regional round.
“As far as speed and power, he has it. Now we just need to tweak his technique in the air a little bit and get ready for regionals,” Torres said.
Next year, Robinson plans to attend Stephen F. Austin and major in aviation while continuing his golf and track career.
“Aviation requires a lot of focus and commitment,” Robinson said. “I became interested in aviation because when I lived in Nigeria, I went to school by an airport and I fell in love with the planes flying over our school and landing. I figured if there was something like that in America, I wanted to explore that. Last May, I was able to fly with an instructor and he allowed me to turn the plane around in the air and I felt like if there was something like that in college, I’m going to major in that.”
Westly Robinson
Class: 2023
IG: @fcg_v12
Events: Long jump, 100-meter dash
Height & weight: 5-feet-11, 150 pounds
Jumpers he studies: Chase Devaughn
Status: Uncommitted
Favorite artists: Central Cee (from United Kingdom)
Favorite subject: Calculus
Hobby: Golf
Shout-outs: Stephen F. Austin, Coach Torres
