Varnado High School’s Destiny Keys

Destiny Keys competes is a senior at Varnado High School and is a basketball player, a track-and-field athlete and a cheerleader.
Keys is a forward in basketball. In track, Keys is in the triple jump and this year she is doing the long jump and she is on the 4×200 relay team. She has also run in the 400 meters.
In basketball, she was a second-team all-district player two years ago.
Keys has reached regionals in track and field.
Keys, who is the Student Body President, is also involved in numerous other extra curricular activities at Varnado outside of athletics.
“As a first-year coach, it’s a blessing to have a senior leader like Destiny,” Varando girls basketball coach Aaron Luper said. “She’s made this transition a lot easier. She’s always where she is supposed to be and doing what she’s supposed to do. We’re going to miss her next year. Even though this is a rebuilding season, she has never complained, she has never talked back and she has never asked for more playing time. She’s truly one of the best kids at Varnado. She’s going to be successful at whatever she does. Her parents did a great job of raising her.”

What do you enjoy most about playing your sports?
When we play a sport, it’s like all together, everybody’s together. It’s like a job. Everybody wants to win, but even if you don’t win, they say, ‘oh, we did good.’
Keys added that even if they don’t win, the coaches still encourage them to do better.

What do you like best about being a student-athlete?
I like the ability to be able to still be able to do my work and be athletic at the same time.

Who has been the most influential person in your school sports career? Why?
I would say my mama (Hope Whitfield) because I’m in a lot of stuff and she still tells me all of the time like, ‘Destiny, you have to do this, this this.’ She motivates me to do better in the sports that I’m in that I’m doing at the particular time. Even if it costs a whole bunch, she’s like, ‘oh, you’re doing it, you’re doing it for real.’ She motivates me a lot.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?
Keys said she doesn’t have a favorite athlete, but said she enjoys watching gymnast Gabby Douglas, who won gold medals in team and individual all-around competitions at the 2012 Summer Olympics. “When I watched her story, it was like, for instance, how she found what she was passionate about and regardless of how people looked at her, she still did her best.”

Best thing about living in Washington Parish?
The best thing about living in Washington Parish is that regardless if you win or lose, the fans still come to see me. They still motivate you and still want to be there for you. They don’t leave you out in the dust, like, ‘we’re not going to go because they don’t win.’ They still come and they are very motivational.