by Adam Eckman ’17
For some athletes, sports like basketball or football give meaning to their lives. They dream of touchdowns and dunks, of being mobbed by a crowd of raving fans.
But other athletes take a different tour. That doesn’t mean they’re less competitive – they still seek trophies and glory. They just find fulfillment in a nontraditional setting. of For Colin Beckford ‘17, his sport is yo-yoing.
At a school with many great athletes one athlete stands out among the rest, unbeknownst to many, and that’s Colin Beckford ’17. Colin excels in the art of the Yo-Yo, and is ranked the 30th best yo-yo competitor in the world.
Success wasn’t easy for Beckford. Colin has logged numerous hours with his Yo-Yo, practicing regularly for 8 hours a week and sometimes even up to 14 hours before a competition. Colin has excelled at competitions, even some on the national level, landing him his first sponsorship offer
A typical Yo-Yo sponsorship is where a Yo-Yoer represents a company by representing their brand name through their Yo-Yos and t-shirts. In return from the company the professional Yo-Yo-er gets free yo-yos and clothes, in addition to other incentives.
Colin was offered a Yo-Yo sponsorship from Yomega and respectfully declined their offer in hopes of being sponsored by Duncan. As Colin’s career continues in Yo-Yoing, he continues to strive for success. Ultimately, Colin wishes to become the regional champ as well as place in the top 3 in a national contest.
