Multi-event participant talks about love of athletics on eve of BC School Sports provincials

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The next secondary school high jump champion could be from northern B.C.

Kaleb Stevens-Fleming will be part of the team heading from Fort St. John to represent the city in the BC School Sports Track and Field Provincial Championships, which begin on Thursday, June 4th, in Langley.

At last month’s North Central Zone track meet in Prince George, the 5-foot-10 inch grade 8 student high jumped at a height of 1.81 metres – a national record which remains unofficial, as Stevens-Fleming wasn’t registered with Athletics Canada in his age group.

Nonetheless, the height was the highest in Canada among boys aged 14-15, and it broke his own track record, as he set a mark of 1.75 metres earlier this year at another meet.

He also hit a distance of 5.62 metres in the long jump and a 12.79 in the 100-metre sprint, but won’t compete in the latter at provincials, running in the 200-metre sprint instead.

The teenager told Energeticcity.ca he began in track and field in elementary school, saying he “liked to be around friends and competing.” 

“I was very surprised,” said Stevens-Fleming about his record-setting jump. “I didn’t really know how to feel about it, because I didn’t realize how big the news was until I looked into it more.”

Stevens-Fleming is part of a large northern team entry featuring members from both Bert Bowes Middle School and North Peace Secondary School.

Kaleb’s mom, Tanya Stevens-Fleming, will be heading down to Langley to cheer on her son. 

“Kaleb was born in the 90th percentile,” explained Tanya. “We always knew he was going to be tall. My husband played [Amateur Athletic Union] basketball and at Concordia University.  It was always in the cards that our boys were going to be athletes.”

“I don’t know if it’s a stroke of luck or the stars are aligning and creating this new path or this new journey for Kaleb that we didn’t see coming.”

Kaleb is also a power forward with the FSJ Flight basketball program, averaging 20 points a game last season.

He said basketball has improved his running power and agility, and he uses this to his advantage in track and field.

While he has ambitions to attend Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, to play for the famed Blue Devils basketball team, his mom hopes he pursues an athletics scholarship.

“I would prefer track, because it’s less prone to injury,” said Tanya.

The BC School Sports Track and Field Provincials begin on Thursday, June 4th, at McLeod Athletic Park in Langley.