While Keerat Dhillon's high school throwing career at North Delta Secondary may be coming to a close this season, the senior has her sights set on the NCAA Division I. Dhillon will be making the move to Moscow, Idaho, later this year to compete for the University of Idaho, where she has accepted a full-ride scholarship from the Big Sky Conference school.
I caught up with Dhillon about her start in the sport, her journey to collegiate athletics and her goals for the 2023 season.
Personal Bests
Hammer Throw: 49.73m
Discus: 37.03m
Career Accolades
Legion Nationals Discus Runner-up
Legion Nationals Hammer Throw Bronze
BC Athletics Jamboree Gold, U18 Hammer Throw & Discus
BC HS Track & Field Championships Senior Hammer Throw Silver, Discus Bronze
Dhillon got her start in track and field at a young age as a sprinter; however, she slowly progressed to competing in the throwing events. As the years went by, Dhillon started to find herself more within the sport and what both practice and competing meant to her.
"Two years ago, I had a bit of a rough patch. I was not doing as great as I wanted to in school and it affected my performance in the throwing circle. I decided to stop practicing all together to focus on school. However as my grades got better, I felt empty... this came from a part of me that knew I needed to keep throwing and I went back to practice. This is what I needed to be able to understand that I could manage both and give my best effort in both."
As time went on this growth both as a person and athlete continued.
"This year I have learned a lot about myself. I was at my first international competition and without my coach and parents, I had to trust and believe in myself. It was tough because leading up to the meet, practice has been a bit rough and I wasn't feeling confident. During the competition, my competitors were throwing a lot further than I was, but my teammates convinced me to not let it affect me. On my next throw I trusted my technique and gave it my all. That throw was a lifetime best. I learned the values of self trust and the importance of teammates and their support."
While teammates can help support each other during competition, it is also their support during practice and outside of the sport that can really propel one forward. It was Dhillon's teammates that helped her realize her potential.
"All the older athletes I had previously trained with went on to compete collegiately. All the stories they told me made me curious about collegiate athletics and I started to get serious with track and field. I knew it was going to take more work than I was putting in to make it to that level."
All that hard work definitely paid off as Dhillon committed to the University of Idaho.
"Idaho, among other choices, was one of the first universities I considered. When I went down for my first official visit, the coaches were so welcoming. It was such a safe environment that when I came home and before I was offered a scholarship, I knew that Idaho was going to be my top choice."
But before she heads off to the NCAA, Dhillon has just a few weeks left in the North Delta Secondary singlet. With the BC High School Track and Field Championships just around the corner, Dhillon is looking to leave her mark.
"I hope to place in the top three at the BC High School Championships and break the 50m mark in the hammer."
As for final words, here is what Dhillon had to say: "It's not going to be great all the time and that's perfectly fine. You're meant to feel down sometimes, it's a natural part of the process. It is the way you act when you are down that determines whether you will get back up again."