Triple threat: The electric dynamic shared among Liberty’s Coleman siblings

You won’t find many sibling trios like the Colemans. Watch Liberty track and field’s Nimeesha, Desmond and Devin Coleman interact with each other, and one can’t help but smile. The joy they get from just being around each other is contagious, and it’s evident now in their college years more than ever.  

But before the three siblings began tackling the life of a Flames student athlete, they were children in Charlotte developing a love for their sport. With parents who were former track and field athletes themselves, it was clear which path the Coleman children would be spurred toward.  

“We grew up with crazy running,” Nimeesha said. “I hated it. I literally climbed up a tree and would hide there until the end of practice.” 

Being the oldest, Nimeesha took to the track first. While her initial running days were spent hiding from practice, she eventually grew to enjoy the sport, shifting from a strict runner to an avid hurdler. Desmond followed shortly after, beginning in running as well.  

One day, though, as Desmond was making his way around the track, a group of people off to the side caught his eye.  

“I was seeing this little thing fly, and I’m like, ‘What’s that?’” Desmond recounted. “I didn’t know if they were part of a track group, and they told me they were throwers (discus). They were more of my build, so I was like, ‘Let me try that.’” 

His parents were reluctant to let their child shift from sprinting to discus. Desmond would often sneak away from practice to work on throwing, and after developing his skills in private, he managed to prove his point.    

“I used to always get yelled at, but then everyone was like, ‘Oh, you can actually do it,’” Desmond said.  

After years of going back and forth between events, his gaze became solely fixed on throwing. Now, the only one left to determine his niche was Devin. And just like his siblings, running was where he got started. But it didn’t take much time before he longed to follow the path of his big brother and shift to throwing.  

“I did (throwing) for about two years,” Devin said. “Went to nationals, threw pretty good. But whenever I was throwing, I was looking at other sprinters and runners. I was like, that looks so cool. So, I kind of just ditched throws at that time and went back to running.” 

All three children found the event that made them happy, and they were progressing rapidly. Nimeesha thrived with the Charlotte Heat Track Club, taking part in a team that won a state championship with just five team members, all of which took first place in 10 different events.  

From there, a family friend — Shawn Venable — made sure to grab the attention of the budding star. Venable went to school with Nimeesha’s parents at Oral Roberts University, but he was also a track and field coach at Liberty. 

“He told us, ‘I know Meesha would love to come to Liberty,’” Nimeesha said. “It was between Liberty and UNC. … (Choosing Liberty) was the best decision I’ve made, for sure, because I didn’t want to feel like a number. I feel like Liberty helped me click with a lot of people.” 

While Desmond was unsure of whether he wished to follow his big sister to Lynchburg, it was the words of former Flames track and field coach and sprinter Pete McFadden that changed the young athlete’s mind. When Desmond was competing at a regional high school competition, McFadden was looking on.  

“He watched me compete, and he said there was something different about me. He was like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to be dangerous,’” Desmond said. “He said he saw something in me. … I already saw (something special) in me. I wanted someone else to see it, and he did.” 

McFadden’s words were enough to prompt Desmond to join Nimeesha on the Mountain. A couple of years later, however, it came time for the third sibling, Devin, to make his decision.

Choosing to come to Liberty wasn’t as clear-cut a decision as it was for the other two. Devin wasn’t receiving many offers as a runner and was initially turned down in his interest to join the Flames.  

The strong-willed Charlotte native, however, chose persistence. While running couldn’t be his pathway to Liberty, he still had other skills in his back pocket. Devin began training in discus again, fully committed to making the Flames as a walk-on. Soon after, he did just that.    

“In our family, we don’t quit,” Devin said on making the walk-on team. “I want to get better — one percent better every single day. It’s a sacrifice. … So that’s why as a college athlete, I’m really dedicated and geared in with my schedule.” 

The three siblings were now in the same city once again, donning the same uniform and sharing in the highs and lows of being a college athlete. They simply see it as a fun time.  

“We have a lot of energy,” Nimeesha said. “The track team is no longer quiet.” 

College has been a journey for each sibling in their own right. Nimeesha is now in her senior year, and Devin is in the midst of his first outdoor track season with the program.  

For Desmond, however, his time as a Flame has brought him much more than accolades — it’s given him a moment that he now identifies as his “why.”  

Growing up, Desmond and his siblings were very close to their grandma Lynn. She spent many years in a nursing home battling schizophrenia and dementia, and seeing her in constant pain weighed heavy on the hearts of their family.  

“It was, like, three days before nationals (in 2022),” Desmond said. “I had a dream, and I was flying in the sky. (Grandma Lynn) was up there, and she was talking normally. She told me to come here, so I went over to talk to her, and she said, ‘Tell everybody that I’m okay and go prove a point.’” 

Desmond was taken aback by the dream, unsure of what it meant. As he went on to the national meet, however, the words lingered in his head. When it came time for him to throw, he decided to give it to God.  

“I was praying. I was like, ‘God, I know you always wanted her to walk around. Let me walk for her.’ … It was weird; it felt like a weight lifted off of me.” 

As he stepped up and released the discus, emotions poured out of Desmond. It took him a second to gather himself and recover, but when he looked up, he saw his name jump from eighth on the board to first. He broke his personal best.  

“This is where it connected,” Desmond said. “I wasn’t very religious or connected back then. That right there, I knew that God is real. I used to think (throwing) was my identity, but now I feel that I throw for people who can’t move or walk like grandma Lynn. That’s who I throw for. I’m very passionate about that.” 

The passion is pronounced in the thrower’s eyes when he speaks of his sport. It’s brought far more than simple skills or memories to his life.  

The same can be said of his siblings.  

Nimeesha is on the brink of graduation, but she’s looking at the next chapter with both anticipation and an impressive resume. This past fall, she completed a digital video social content internship with ESPN, helping manage the network’s YouTube page, which currently boasts 11.2 million subscribers.  

“With track, it taught me that I have to go after what I want,” Nimeesha said. “Trusting in the process, going after my goals and not shying away from them. So, if you want to be a reporter, go to ESPN. If you want to be a winner in track, go around winners. If you want to have a better relationship with God, follow the word with God. Actually pursue it rather than shying back because of pressure or anything like that.” 

The Colemans are a family packed with determination and joy, something they hope is evident when others watch them interact with each other. The three strive to be sources of light and friendship, not just on campus, but to their parents and their youngest brother, Donovan, who is 7 years old and thinks the world of his older siblings.  

“Having the opportunity to be around each other not only builds me up but builds all of us up. I’ve seen families suffer when everybody is away, but we get to be together,” Desmond said. “To get to the level of how close we are, it took a lot of heartbreak. We never downplay anyone’s journeys. … Our family is a family of helpers.” 

And as they savor this one season where they all get to run for the same program, emotions are running high — especially for the big sister.  

“I’m just so proud of the fact that you guys are my brothers,” Nimeesha said to Desmond and Devin. “Not just because of what you do, but who you guys have become over the years. You guys are never selfish, always humble, and I’m so proud of you guys.”

 

Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X