ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Ma'kala Davis

Ocoee High graduate Ma’kala Davis recently became the first Knight to win the state championship title for the triple jump with a distance of 11.98 meters. Davis also placed third in the high jump category with a height of 5 feet, 3 inches.

How do you feel about being the first Knight to be state champion for triple jump?
It’s cool. I didn’t know I was the first until my coach told me. But is really cool because I had a lot of support from my team. They were all excited for me, and my mom was very excited for me. It’s cool to be able to say you were the first in anything. 

Tell us about your years as a triple jump athlete.
I started back in seventh grade, (but) I didn’t start being good at it until high school. COVID-19 happened my freshman year, so I didn’t have a freshman season, and I didn’t do jumps until 10th grade, when I really focused on jumps. It was hard because not having my freshman year and coming in sophomore year — it was hard to adapt. But I adapted.

Why track and field — triple jump? 
Because you can do multiple things, you can run, jump, throw. I feel like with other sports, you just do one thing. Also, it’s more of an individual sport so you can focus on what you do. 

What do you love most about your sport?
I like that it brings out the best in me. When you are doing track, you see what is truly inside of you — your discipline, how persistent you are. You see what you can take, and I like that because it makes you push yourself to the limit for a millisecond. 

What do you believe track has taught you not only on the track but also outside of it? 
To keep going even though it’s hard, being persistent and endurance. Even in track, you have times where you don’t want to finish your workout. … But you still have to push yourself. 

Where are you going to college? 
Jacksonville University. 

What would you like to study in college? 
Kinesiology. I might minor in elementary education, but I’m not sure in that. 

What is your favorite hobby? 
I like to draw. Usually, I draw landscapes or poses.

What are three things you would take with you to a deserted island? 
Definitely my sketchbook, probably a couple of books and socks, because I can’t walk barefoot anywhere. 

What is your favorite movie? 
At the moment it’s the new “Little Mermaid.” I like the diversity in the movie; it’s not just basic Disney characters. You have some different ethnicities in it, and I like that Chloe Bailey was the protagonist, because it’s encouraging for black women to actually succeed in other things besides sports and music.

What is your favorite type of music? 
I like classical music, relaxing music to focus (because) it helps me think about what I have to do for the meet and where I need to be at. It calms me down. 

Who is your favorite superhero? Why? 
Batman. He thinks outside of the box, and he is really smart. I like how he uses technology to his advantage. 

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? 
Flying. I know that’s so generic, but I like being up high in the air. Doing track, we fly a lot … so I like the view from really high above. But, I don’t like heights. 

What are three places you would like to visit? Why? 
I would like to visit Korea, because I like the culture. I am a big anime fan. Or Japan, maybe. Another place would be maybe Italy because there are so many things to do. I just want to say I went to Italy. 

If you could go back in time to a specific period of history, which one would it be and why?
Probably the Civil Rights movement, around when Martin Luther King Jr. was first coming about and Rosa Parks and the whole Montgomery bus boycott. I think that’d be so cool even though at the time blacks were being prosecuted. I feel like just being able to see those great people would just boost me or encourage me to appreciate the rights that we have now. 

What color would you say represents your personality? 
Blue, because it’s such a nice color in any shade. … Sometimes, I’m not as vibrant as some people may think, but I still have color, and I still have some vibrancy to me. 

If you could be an animal for a day, which one would you be and why? 
A shark. You are always moving forward, the top of the food chain. Everybody is scared of you, and there are so many different types of sharks.