Coaches Of Champions

Specialties: Sprints, 400m, 800m, Relays

Coach Steve Strother founded Blue Lightning Track Club in 2013 and has served as Head Coach since its beginning. A four-time NCAA All-American, four-time SEC Champion, and eleven-time All-SEC sprinter at Auburn University, he brings championship-level experience to age-appropriate athlete development. Coach Steve competed in the sprints and relays under legendary Auburn coach Mel Rosen and now uses that experience to develop proper running form, speed, confidence, race execution, and a Champion’s Mindset.

Founder and Meet Director, Champions United Track & Field Series (2022–present)

Education: Auburn University, B.A. in Psychology, 1977–1982.

Coach Cole brings over 10 years of track and field experience to Blue Lightning Track Club as both an accomplished athlete and sprint coach.

Coach Cole is a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh on a track scholarship and serves as a team lead for the Pitt track and field program. Being trusted with a leadership role at the Division I level speaks to Coach Cole’s character, work ethic, knowledge of the sport, and the confidence his coaches and teammates have in his ability to lead.

Coach Cole’s competitive résumé includes being a nine-time National Junior Olympian, five-time All-American, and Georgia State Champion in the 4x200-meter relay. Coach Cole also earned a third-place finish in the 400 meters at the Georgia State Championships.

During his high school career, Coach Cole twice earned the MileSplit USA US #1 indoor ranking in the 400 meters and reached a US #3 ranking in the indoor 200 meters.

At Blue Lightning, Coach Cole specializes in the 100M, 200M, and 400M, with a strong focus on sprint mechanics, starting technique, Race IQ, body angles, race execution, acceleration, and efficient movement. Coach Cole helps athletes understand the details that create speed and how to execute each phase of a sprint with purpose.

Coach Cole was also instrumental in helping coach Blue Lightning athlete Jaiden Tennyson to a US #1 ranking in both the 100 meters and 200 meters.

As a young coach who is actively competing and leading at the Division I collegiate level, Coach Cole brings athletes a unique perspective. Coach Cole combines current high-level training experience, championship competition, technical knowledge, Race IQ, and proven leadership to help athletes grow both on and off the track.

Iron sharpens iron. Coach Cole helps athletes sharpen the details that turn speed, discipline, technique, and Race IQ into performance.

Coach Chad King is an educator with 17 years of experience and more than 10 years of youth basketball coaching experience. As a high school athlete, he competed in the long jump, 400m, 4×400 relay, and 4×100 relay.

A graduate of Fort Valley State University, Coach King brings an educator’s mindset to track and field. He focuses on helping Champions develop a love for running, build confidence, and consistently give their best effort.

Coach Sierra Calhoun is a University of North Florida alumna who competed in the heptathlon from 2009–2012. Her multi-event background includes the shot put, javelin, discus, hurdles, sprints, jumps, and 400m. She later brought that versatility into coaching, serving as Head Girls Track and Field Coach at Edward H. White High School from 2014–2018, Head Girls Weightlifting Coach from 2015–2018, and as a coach at Newton High School beginning in 2021. She served as Newton High School’s Head Track and Field Coach during the 2025–2026 season before accepting a position with the Newton County Board of Education.

A Jacksonville, Florida native and mother of two, Coach Calhoun is also a biology educator. She brings a strong combination of multi-event experience, leadership, and an educator’s approach to helping athletes learn, grow, and develop as Champions.

Coach Garfield “Coach G” White brings discipline, leadership, humor, and a lifelong passion for athletics to Blue Lightning Track Club. Born in Port Antonio, Jamaica—where speed is king—his earliest training came from chasing chickens and goats with his siblings. He later competed in distance events and pole vault at John Muir High School in Pasadena, California, a nationally recognized track and field program with multiple national records and top national performances. Coach G later served in the U.S. Army, where he became a Master Fitness Instructor and advanced to the rank of Sergeant.

For nearly six years, Coach G has coached sprints and jumps while serving as a dependable all-around coach who takes initiative and goes the extra mile with every assignment. Guided by commitment, discipline, motivation, and respect, he helps Champions develop their technique, confidence, and character—and you will rarely see him without a smile. Away from the track, Coach G enjoys spending time with his wife and seven children, fishing, riding dirt bikes, and caring for his mini farm and exotic fish. He is also Blue Lightning’s master griller, known for his tasty jerk chicken and burgers.

Coach Godfrey Lewin is a dedicated track and field coach with three years of coaching experience with Blue Lightning Track Club. Growing up in Jamaica, where track and field is deeply woven into the culture and is often described as being “like a religion,” Godfrey developed a deep appreciation and passion for the sport from an early age. His passion for athletics is rooted in a lifelong commitment to sports and competition. During his high school years, Coach Godfrey competed in both cricket and soccer, developing a strong foundation in discipline, teamwork, conditioning, strategy, and competitive performance. Today, he brings that same competitive mindset and passion for excellence to track and field, where he is committed to helping young athletes discover their potential and pursue their goals with confidence and determination.

Outside of coaching, Godfrey is a Vice President and Client Integration Leader at a large financial institution, where he leads complex client integration initiatives and works across teams to deliver successful business outcomes. His professional leadership experience further strengthens his approach to coaching, allowing him to bring strong organizational skills, accountability, communication, leadership, and goal-oriented development to the athletes he serves. Coach Godfrey believes that great coaching is about more than developing faster and stronger athletes—it is about building discipline, confidence, resilience, character, and the mindset necessary to succeed both on and off the track.

Coach Rodrick “D” David is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach and retired United States Marine with 20 years of service. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he has 26 years of coaching experience, including 16 years working with youth athletes. During his military career, he coached track, basketball, flag football, and eight-man football.

Coach D has coached with two USATF clubs and started his own track team in North Carolina in 2017. His experience spans numerous track-and-field events, supported by coaching certifications, camps, and work connected to the Wounded Warrior Program’s Military Para-Olympic training in Colorado Springs. As a high school athlete, he competed in cross country, the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4×200 relay, and long jump.

Coach D is passionate about helping young people become the best version of themselves. He has coached athletes ranging from personal-best performers to USATF All-Americans.