43rd Colgate Women's Games Finals

This was a great experience and I was very happy to be part of a prestigious track meet that has been around for 43 years. For the last 5 weeks I have been honored to run with some of the fastest runners in New York and I had a great time. Yesterday I did not get the results I hoped for but I am growing as an athlete and I know that things will click for me soon. My parents tell me to relax and allow myself to enjoy the moment, I just want it so bad I often over-think what I need to do. Making a college team has been on my mind this entire winter season and I feel stressed, I need to just allow myself to enjoy running.
Anyway it was a great experience and my grandmother got to see me run for the first time and that made everything better.

I am so grateful I had an opportunity to work with Coach Howard Adams, I have never had a coach like him before that just believed in me. He is hard and many days I told my mother, "mom this man is trying to kill me", but it is because of him why I made a college team and why my love for track still exists. Thank You Coach Howard for EVERYTHING, and I truly mean that. I hope you never stop being my mentor. I love you!

Coach Howard & me (MY COACH)

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I love my Sag Harbor Family and the Support I get

 Thank you Sag Harbor Express for your continued support. I love the support that I have received during my entire High School experience with academics, acting and sports. My winter season has not ended yet, I have two more meets in March and after that I can focus on my Spring Season, I know that I am a stronger runner and I am looking forward to running with the team, it really is lonely when you are not on a team. There is nothing like Team Spirit, Spring Track is actually the BEST!
 http://sagharborexpress.com/leggard-sprints-finals-colgate-games/

Allura Leggard warms up before competing in the 55 Meter Dash at the 43rd Annual Colgate Women’s Games at the Armory Track in New York City on Saturday. Michael Heller photo (Sag Harbor Express)

Allura Leggard during opening ceremonies at the 43rd Annual Colgate Women’s Games at the Armory in New York City. 
Photo credit: Micheal Heller, Sag Harbor Express

One Billion Rising for the Retreat

Eve Bishop & Me

I was very excited to be part of "One Billion Rising" a celebration of song, performance and spoken word to raise awareness for Domestic Violence. One Billion Rising is a global movement, founded by Eve Ensler, to end rape and sexual violence against women. It was started in 2012 as part of the V-Day movement. The "billion" refers to the UN statistic that one in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime, or about one billion. 

Helen Atkinson-Barnes, Education Program Manager for the Teen Leadership Project was the representative for the Retreat.  The Feminist Club from Pierson made "hats" to raise money for the Retreat.

My Friend Eve Bishop made the cover of the program, Kate Mueth and the Neo-Political Cowgirls organized the event at  Guild Hall in East Hampton on Sunday, February 12th, at 2pm. It was Free and open to the public! 

Dad, me, mom, Mrs AB-Barnes

Photo Credit: Tom Kochie

Here is the Poem I wrote and performed at Guild Hall.

Our Time

This is our time, this is our place

I will not stand for this outbreak

I love my body and I love myself

I will let no one stand between me and my health

I will do what I need to do when it needs to be done

I stand with not one but everyone

I bloom like a flower and bring happiness

But when it is time to bring the power I get serious

I am a nasty women who you can’t avoid

I will say my peace because I’m not a toy

When you mess with one you mess with all

I believe "pussy fights back" is the phrase we call

We are beautiful but not only that

We have the strength and power to fight back

We will not use violence or mean slurs

How would we be better than them

We stand arm to arm, sister to sister, and we show them off

We have the right, we have justice, we have freedom

We are beautiful creatures who stand tall

We don’t want justice for one but for all

'When they go low we go high'

This slogan speaks this truth, it has no lie

It’s not for the democrats, republicans, liberals, or conservatives on this Earth

But for the women, men, LGBQAI, those who are genderless brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, black, white, asian, latino, latina, every individual with self-worth

We will take a stand and no one will stop us with that

When they take it all we fight back

Don’t mess with us we have more than you think

We are the Women of the world and we will speak up for what we believe

-Allura Leggard