Alyx Treasure's face breaks into a smile when people tell her she's getting taller.
As a high jumper, long legs are not only an asset to Treasure, they could well become her livelihood.
On the cusp of a career as a university athlete, with Olympic team ambitions, the 18-year-old Prince George Track and Field Club member first has some unfinished business as a club athlete. Next week in Moncton, N.B., the five-foot-11 Treasure will be taking a run at the high bar in the IAAF world junior championships.
"I'm nervous but I'm excited though, a lot more calm than I was last year," said Treasure.
Treasure was referring to her state of mind at the 2009 world youth championships in Italy, where she finished a disappointing 11th, well off her personal best. Injuries spoiled what could have been a breakthrough year on the world stage. Her wonky takeoff ankle hurt her efforts to rewrite the record book at the Canadian Legion national championships. The pain was so severe, her training was severely restricted, and that left her wondering whether she'd ever recover her form.
Treasure erased those doubts a month ago when she won her third consecutive B.C. high school championship with a jump of 1.80 metres, just two centimetres off her personal best. The only other three-time B.C. female high school champion was Olympian Debbie Brill. Pain-free again, the sky is indeed the limit for Treasure.
"I should be jumping 1.85 (metres)," Treasure said. "I can jump it fine, it's just the problem of pulling it out in competition and that's what I've had issues with the last two years -- jumping at the appropriate time.
"Obviously with track and field you're always going to be struggling with injuries but this year they're not getting in my way when it comes to competition. As long as I can compete, that's all that counts."
Treasure is returning to the same stadium and the same high jump pit in Moncton where she won the silver at the junior national meet less than two weeks ago. She admits she wasn't at her best at that meet, unable to clear the bar beyond 1.74m, and Victoria's Holly Parent took advantage and won gold.
"The placing wasn't the issue, it was my jumping itself, I just wasn't focused," Treasure said.
As much as he'd like to be there, Tom Masich, Treasure's PGTFC coach, won't be in Moncton next week. That's a $3,000 trip, and Athletics Canada does not allow personal coaches, not even the guy who has orchestrated Treasure development since she first joined the club at age 11.
"I would kill to have Tom there with me," she said, "especially because this is the last year he'll fully train me. But I'll do well for him down there."
Masich was with Treasure in 2007 in Oromocto, N.B. when she won the Canadian Legion youth high jump title as a 15-year-old. The 74-year-old Masich is confident his star pupil won't be missing him when she's sailing head-first through the Maritime air.
"Having me there was good for Alyx because it was her first time out of the province and her first time meeting many of the kids," said Masich. "When you've got your own coach there, they can council you along. But many of our athletes have gone on without their personal coaches there.
"She's at the point right now where she's capable of a bigtime personal best. If she does that, she could very well medal at world juniors."
Since her last trip to Moncton, Treasure has been taking advantage of the good weather in Prince George and is seeing the results of her work in practice with her coach at Masich Place Stadium.
"We had a very productive jumping session Sunday evening, laying out her proper steps and approach, and she was jumping at or over her personal best," said Masich. "We've been doing a lot of work to loosen up her hip flexors so she can be more flexible going over the bar."
Treasure will make her world junior qualifying jumps next Friday, July 23 (10 a.m. PT). The top 12 move on to finals, set for Sunday, July 25 (1:30 p.m., PT).
In September, Treasure will begin a new chapter in her life -- as a university student at UBC. She starts first-year human kinetics classes, and as a UBC athlete will be exposed to a new world as far as her athletics training goes.
"I'll be working with (2008 Olympian) Mike Mason and I can't even talk about how much that's going to improve me as a high jumper," Treasure said. 'I've been working by myself for how many years now. I haven't had the opportunity to work with other athletes who are at my level to push myself. I only look up to people in competition, I don't have anybody to compete with in practice and that's a huge benefit."
