Javonya Valcourt: Academic Achiever, Athlete, and Information Sciences Student
From being one of the fastest runners in the Bahamas to competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Javonya Valcourt is an exceptional track and field athlete and a dedicated junior studying information sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Originally from the Bahamas, Valcourt’s journey took her to the United States, where she attended high school at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. Her remarkable achievements and relentless pursuit of excellence make her a standout both on the track and in the classroom.
“If I hadn’t left the Bahamas, I don’t think I would have been able to attend UT because it’s such a small country, and opportunities are very hard to come by. So that’s something I’m grateful for,” she said.
After graduating from Montverde Academy, Valcourt planned to attend Texas Christian University (TCU). However, she decided to follow Coach Duane Ross, who was coming from North Carolina A&T to UT.
“I realized this is a great place. There are a lot of opportunities for students, and that’s why I decided to come here,” Valcourt explained.
In addition to excelling on the track, Valcourt is a standout in the classroom. In 2024, she was named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District and was included on the 2024 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll.
“My grades are important to me, not only because you can’t run without good grades. I’ve always taken school seriously,” Valcourt stated.
Valcourt is very grateful for her upbringing in the Bahamas. Both of her parents still live there, and she visits frequently. She recalls that her initial interest in athletics did not start with track and field.
“I started track when I was around 12. I did a lot of sports before then, like volleyball, and it just wasn’t for me. People kept telling my mom to put me in track and field, so I decided to start from there. I’ve been making a lot of teams since. My first national team was the world championships in 2021. From then on, I’ve been on many teams and got an opportunity to go to school in Florida. Coaches started recognizing me since I wasn’t in the Bahamas anymore, which led to more recognition and visits from schools,” she explained.
In the past year, Javonya Valcourt has been recognized as a U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Track & Field All-Academic Athlete. She also had the honor of competing in the 2024 Olympics on Team Bahamas for the mixed 4×400-meter relay. To qualify for the Olympics, Valcourt returned to the Bahamas to compete in their national competition, where she placed first in the 400m with a time of 52.2 seconds.
“It meant a lot to represent my home country. A lot of people from my hometown don’t get this opportunity, so I’m really glad. I had the fastest time in the Bahamas for the 400m last season. Hopefully, this season I can do the same and qualify for the world championships in Tokyo,” Valcourt said.
Reflecting on her Olympic experience, Valcourt shared, “Our team didn’t perform as we wanted, but I’m still grateful for the opportunity. It was amazing to see all these pro athletes I look up to and watch them run. I have many memories and videos from it. The stadium atmosphere was incredible; I couldn’t hear anything because the crowd was so supportive. My home country was very supportive too. I was glad my mom could come down to watch, even though it was far. Overall, it was a great experience.”
Valcourt is determined to compete in the next Olympics, aiming to qualify for the 400m individual event.
“I plan to be at the Olympics running the 400m in four years. I was close to qualifying this time but didn’t make it,” she said.
In the meantime, Valcourt will be practicing her skills both on the track and off. She says her schoolwork is just as important to a successful career. Valcourt’s initial interest in computers led her to study information sciences at UT.
“Back home in the Bahamas, we had to take a computer class that focused on Word and Excel, which wasn’t very exciting. But I remember a website where you could create your own site, and I was always trying to create my own website. From then on, I knew that’s what I was interested in,” she explained.
She has particularly enjoyed her courses in user experience (UX) design, systems analysis, and problem-solving within her information sciences program.
Valcourt has balanced being an athlete and a student well as she says academics have always been important to her.
“It’s not just showing up to practice, everyone shows up to practice. It’s the stuff you do outside of practice and I take that very seriously,” she stated.
Valcourt has been a part of VOLeaders Academy, which was developed to cultivate student-athlete leaders through sport to create positive social change.
“I think it’s helped me to see more of a community here because I started off very timid, not trying to seek opportunities, and coming from the Bahamas is such a different culture. I feel like that program has helped me to try to see a community here, see connections, and make friends with other people,” Valcourt stated.
Valcourt is grateful for both her academic and athletic achievements and for the support she’s received from her family, friends, coaches, and faculty at UT. She says her mom has made it a point to attend every one of Valcourt’s big meets.
“I love track. It’s just allowed me to meet a lot of people, allow me to travel a lot of places, and I mean my best friend we met because of the track. Almost all my closest friends are because of track and all the opportunities that I’ve experienced are because of track—like being here at UT,” she stated.
Valcourt says she will continue to work hard both on and off the track. She is grateful for all the opportunities track and UT has given her to be a better athlete and student.
“I think I adapted so well because something I go by faith without works is dead, as said in the Bible, and I, I always put hard work into everything I do,” she said.
Javonya Valcourt: Academic Achiever, Athlete, and Information Sciences Student written by Kristen Gallant and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.