No weight for six months. How this ‘Edge athlete retrained herself mentally, physically after foot surgery.

The December Competitive Edge Athlete of the Month is Kieara “Kiki” Edwards.

Flosoftball ranked Edwards, a senior at Osbourn Park High School in Manassas,
number 88 for the class of 2019 softball players. Athletes are selected based on the AthPro360 performance index, interviews with elite club coaches and scouts, and general high school and travel statistics.

Edwards was a key player for the East Cobb Bullets. She helped them win the 2018 Triple Crown 18u National Championship last summer.

Edwards’ high school softball team won the 2016 Virginia 6A State Championships and was runner-up in the 2017 Virginia 6a State Championships.  In over 200 at-bats, Edwards has only had five strikeouts in her high school seasons. She has received All-Conference and All-Region titles.

Now Edwards plays for the 18U Birmingham Thunderbolts who ranked number one in the 16U National NPS Ranking.

In Fall, Edwards will be attending Mississippi State University where she is committed to play softball.

Q: How long have you been training at Competitive Edge?
A: I began training at Competitive Edge the summer before my tenth grade year in 2016.

Q: What makes Competitive Edge unique?
A: Training at Competitive Edge provides an environment that develops and feeds competition. On any given day, you will train with/around District One (D1) and D1 bound athletes. Also, the facility layout for softball/baseball allows me to get an amazing workout for both offense and defense.

Q: What is your favorite type of workout and why?
A: I am constantly working to become a better hitter. Regardless of how I perform, I can always be better. I hit five days a week at Competitive Edge, mainly focusing on improving my swing and correcting any issues. In a normal session, I will hit between 250-400 balls. I also enjoy the Vertimax and agility classes. As an outfielder, it is important to keep my reflexes quick and my body strong and balanced.

Q: What has been your greatest athletic success?
A: Softball is typically known as a game of failure, so anytime you have a great game, win a tournament, or have an overall awesome season, it is a huge accomplishment. My greatest athletic success was during my 2016 softball season: My high school team, Osbourn Park, won the Virginia 6A State Championship, and my travel team, East Cobb Bullets, won the prestigious Independence Day 16U Championship in Boulder, Colo. During that summer season, I hit a grand slam off of a pitcher headed to play in the PAC 12 which was huge in my recruitment to Mississippi State. My ultimate success was my verbal commitment to play softball at Mississippi State University in October 2016.

Q: What has been the most difficult part of your journey to fitness?
A: In Sept. 2017, I had surgery on my left foot to correct a bone issue. The physical and mental recovery after the surgery was one of the most difficult challenges I had to deal with as an athlete. After not being able to run or bear-weight on my foot for over 6 months, I had to re-teach myself, along with the help of my physical therapist, how to engage the lower half of my body in my swing and while running. I spent numerous hours training at Competitive Edge.

Q: How did you initially react when you learned that you were Athlete of the Month?
A: When the Competitive Edge staff shared that I was going to be recognized as the Athlete of the Month, I was surprised and elated. I immediately shared the news with my family.

Q: What does being the Competitive Edge Athlete of the Month mean to you?
A: There are tons of athletes in the Prince William County area, and for Competitive Edge to want to recognize my accomplishments was a huge honor. As competitive athletes, we train extremely hard, we don’t have the same social life as a regular teenager, and we spend hours training, competing, and traveling, so to be recognized is amazing and heartwarming.

Q: What motivates you to get out of bed and workout each day?
A: Knowing that someone else is out of their bed working to get better motivates me. My parents have always told me that everyone is your competition and that there is someone out there that wants it just as bad or more, so don’t stop grinding.

Q: What is the most beneficial part of being an athlete?
A: Being an athlete keeps me focused and dedicated to my goals, both academic and athletic. There are no days off when you are grinding to get better and be successful.

Q: How will you continue to maintain your fitness in college?
A: At Mississippi State University, we have a conditioning coach that is dedicated to the softball program. I am certain my fitness program will intensify, and I look forward to becoming more physically fit and a better athlete.

Q: What are your goals in the next ten years?
A: My goals are to become 2019 6A State Champions,  2019 Independence Day National 18u Champions, and 2019 PGF 18u National Champions. I also want to win an NCAA National Championship, have a successful softball career at Mississippi State University, graduate with a BS in Kinesiology, obtain my Ph.D. and become a Physical Therapist, work for the NFL as a Physical therapist, and get a Super Bowl ring!

Q: Do you have any advice to up-and-coming athletes?
A: To all of the younger softball players and those aspiring to play in college, keep working hard and dreaming big. The sky is the limit as long as you are willing to outwork the competition!

This post is sponsored by Competitive Edge Athletic Performance Center in Woodbridge.