From day one – actually before day one – Jillian Drouin has been successful at track and field.

Drouin’s first experience with the high jump came in kindergarten gym class in Corunna, Ontario. The gym teacher, Kelly Gilhuly, was not only the track and field coach, but also a close friend of the Drouin family.

Gilhuly grew up with Drouin’s mom, Sheila. They lived in the same town and went to the same school. Even more coincidently, Gilhuly was in the hospital the day Drouin was born. Just four days earlier, Gilhuly gave birth to her son.

‘I’m from such a small town that her son was my best friend,’ Drouin said. ‘In high school we kind of grew apart, but we do still get along when we see each other.’

Gilhuly coached Drouin while she participated in the junior division, from third grade until the seventh grade, although the coaching really began in kindergarten.

Drouin won the 55-meter hurdles last weekend, when Syracuse finished first in a dual meet against Binghamton and Albany. It’s something the junior has made a habit of doing. She remembers the reason she enjoyed the high jump at first was not because of the actual event but it was better ‘than just running around in circles.’

‘When she started she was really timid and had a quiet confidence about her,’ Gilhuly said. ‘She could do everything but she was a shy timid person.’

When Drouin was in kindergarten, the children would race down to the other end of the gym. Drouin would blow by the other runners.

‘She would be half the gym ahead of the other kids and look back and slow down to let her friends catch up,’ Gilhuly said.

She beat the competition – unless, that is, she helped them.

When she was in third grade, Drouin was leading a race and a girl trailing her fell. Instead of continuing for an easy victory, Drouin stopped and went to help the girl.

As the young track star experienced more success, she became confident.

‘At first I just sucked at it,’ Drouin said. ‘I remember there was a girl in my class that was probably a foot shorter than me and she was always the high jumper. Probably not until grade four that I finally beat her and all of a sudden it just clicked and I knew what I was doing. It was when I started knowing that I was good at it and when I enjoyed it a little more.’

When it came time to choose a college to continue her athletics, she thought of Corunna. Syracuse was a place where she could continue her athletics, but also be close to home.

‘It’s about six hours away and I’m a real home body. I love my town and love being with my family and friends,’ Drouin said. ‘That was a big factor that it was a lot closer than the other schools.’

When Drouin makes the six-hour trip back to Corunna, she still visits Gilhuly. However, the topic of conversation is more on how college is going rather than how she can improve.

‘I see her quite a bit during the summers,’ Drouin said. ‘We never really talk about specifics. She just wants to know how I’m doing. Actually the reason might be they took high jump out of our school system. She doesn’t even coach anymore. They deemed it too dangerous.’

Gilhuly may not comment or try to help her former high jumper out with her technique now that she is in college, but Drouin still counts on her former coach.

‘She was an extra pillar for me,’ Drouin said. ‘She was always there to support me, and was always so excited for how I was doing and always wanted know.’

Published on February 11, 2007 at 12:00 pm