Kevell Byrd is a 22-year-old renowned track and field athlete at Dillard University. During the NAIA Indoor Championships, she received her 11th and 12th NAIA All-American Honors for the 200-meter and 400-meter races.
Byrd was born and raised in Luling, Louisiana. With the encouragement of her parents, she started running in middle school and continued to develop her running in high school.
As she improved, she started partaking in the technical and competitive side of track, running in the summer and for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). There, Byrd met and was coached by her current coach, Nile Legania, who encouraged her to run in the summer.
“I met him at one of my high school meets,” said Byrd. “He was my coach for about two years before I came to Dillard,” she continued.
Byrd has been running for 10 years, succeeding and growing as each year passes. Even with her successes, many don’t realise the trials and tribulations of not just running track but balancing being a student athlete.
“You never know what’s going to happen on race day. I suffer [from] anxiety. It is more under control, as I’ve educated myself on mental health. However, I put my trust in God, my body, and my coaches. And with the work that I’ve put in I just think ‘Okay, I’m going to give it all I’ve got’,” said Byrd.
Another obstacle she faced was a recent diagnosis of asthma after months of being sick and not knowing what was going on. It was a very scary situation that she and her family had to navigate. Byrd confessed that she hid her sickness for a while.
“I didn’t want to concern my coaches or my teammates. There were a lot of distractions. I didn’t want to go to the competition, and they ask, ‘Is she still good to run?’ Yes, I can still run,” she said.
Some of Byrd’s biggest supporters are her parents, Coach Legania, and her best friend and teammate, Brooklyn Acosta.The Byrd family goes above and beyond for their daughter, traveling to see her and supporting her decisions when it comes to track, school, and her career. Coach Legania strongly believed in her and pushed her to overcome her fears and anxiety because he knew she had the work ethic and the heart to do it.
“He was able to find me a therapist. He always encouraged me and talked to me, almost like a father figure,” said Byrd.
Her parents instilled in her the mentality that she can be good at something, but she has to be the best at it. This was a result of her growing up in a predominantly white area. Even with that mindset, Byrd is not a flashy person. She believes in being authentic, honest, and a positive representation.
“I worked hard for this. None of this was handed to me, and a lot of times, I have to remind people. It’s not easy. I don’t know if I’m going to win. I want to win, but it’s never guaranteed. It’s nothing but God, faith, and really good training,” she said.
Byrd is an artist and an entrepreneur with her photography business, Vell Productions. She is also the founder and president of the Black Photography Club. However, she takes a lot of pride in being an athlete representing her HBCU.
“I think more people are starting to appreciate HBCU athletics more often now than before. They think we don’t have the right funding or the right coaches, but the product is right here. Because of Dillard University’s track and field, we were able to show who Dillard really is. There are so many young and talented athletes here,” Byrd emphasized.
Some of those talented athletes include senior Charra Bridges, senior Ta’nijal Matthews, junior Tori Burton, junior Ta’nyia Flowers, junior Trinity Marshall, and freshman Laila Johnson.
“It’s amazing how we juggle all these different accolades, running different organizations, and being an athlete competing at the highest rank,” Byrd stated.
