Twin sisters Aminah and Safiya Prasad, standout student-athletes from St. Croix, have been accepted to the prestigious Spire Academy in Ohio this fall, joining an elite roster of athletes from across the Caribbean. The rising juniors will represent the Virgin Islands in U.S. national and Caribbean regional track and field competitions throughout the year.

At Spire, the sisters will train under world-renowned Jamaican sprint coach Kerron Stuart, a three-time Olympic medalist, seven-time All-American, and six-time World Athletics Championship medalist in the 100m and 200m.

The achievement comes on the heels of a stellar academic and athletic record. Both recently completed their sophomore year at St. Croix Educational Complex as Magnet students, earning an overall GPA of 101.5 and ranking at the top of their class. On the track, they represented the St. Croix Track Club, “Mustangs”, and the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation, consistently medaling at local and regional meets.

Most recently, Safiya struck gold in the 400m hurdles and 800m at the Puerto Rico AAJI Championships, while Aminah secured bronze in a highly competitive 200m final. Both athletes also represented the Virgin Islands at the 2025 CARIFTA Games.

What began as a one-week training camp at Spire Academy quickly turned into a full scholarship opportunity. Coaches and administrators were impressed not only by the twins’ athletic talent but also by their academic commitment and leadership. The offer will allow them to board full-time during their junior and senior years. The opportunity is a major milestone for the territory.

“We never anticipated this! We only had a week to prepare—come back to St. Croix, pack, and move them into their dorms,” said their parents, Isatou and Ganesh Prasad. “We didn’t have time to process it all, but we are proud of our daughters and what they’ve accomplished. We hope this paves the way for future Virgin Islands athletes. There is so much talent here, and we look forward to paying it forward. We want to thank Coach Keith Smith Sr. and Juan Robles for helping to instill in them the love of the sport and helping to build their running fundamentals”

Looking ahead, both sisters have their eyes set on competing in NCAA Division I track programs. Safiya hopes to study Veterinary Medicine, while Aminah is exploring careers in Medicine or Engineering. Both, however, admit there’s one thing they’re not excited about: trading St. Croix sunshine for Ohio snow.