Rutgers-Newark Athletics

By Jim Hague

It’s safe to say that Rutgers-Newark middle distance runner Tchaz Amevor has an extremely unique name.

The surname’s origin comes from his mother’s homeland of Ghana, but his first name is a lasting tribute to the famed Russian composer Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky.

“That was the inspiration for the name,” Amevor said. “But I’ll stick to just being Tchaz (pronounced as CHAZ).”

Amevor also has a very inspiring side to his life.

His 12-year-old sister, Menecia, suffers from Trisomy 13 (also called Patau syndrome), a rare genetic disorder in which a person has three copies of genetic material from the chromosome 13 instead of the usual two copies. The extra material interferes with normal body development.

Menecia’s Trisomy 13 has left her wheelchair bound.

“She’s never developed bone density, so she cannot walk,” Amevor says, describing his sister’s condition. “Her bones are very brittle.”

Amevor recalls one examination at the Shriner’s Hospital in Philadelphia where poor Menecia was undergoing x-rays and the doctor stretched her legs out and inadvertently broke both her legs.

Trisomy 13 occurs in about one of every 10,000 newborn babies. Although the disease and condition are genetic, it’s not an inherited condition.

“That’s how it’s been since she was born,” Amevor said. “It’s just me, my mom and my sister. I’ve pretty much accepted it now. You have to do what you have to do and deal with it. I really don’t bring it up unless someone asks me about it.”

Amevor first went from University Academy in his native Jersey City to NJIT, but found the academic footing at NJIT a little difficult, especially trying to juggle school work with his family responsibilities and a part-time job at a Jersey City game store.

“Sometimes, it feels like there’s almost not enough time in the day,” Amevor said. “It does drain you. It was tough for me putting school on top of everything else.”

It’s a daily routine that includes helping out with the care of his little sister.

“I deal with it,” Amevor said. “I don’t keep track of how many hours I spend with her. But I put my time in. I go past her room and check on her, spend time with her. It varies how much time I spend.”

Amevor left NJIT and transferred to Rutgers-Newark once he got his academics in order.

“He really has a lot on his plate,” Rutgers-Newark head track and field coach Juan Edney said. “It’s a lot of stress on someone his age, but he has to care for his sister. Once he got his academics in line, he got his chance to run for us. Since he came to our team, he’s become more mature. He’s communicating more and showing he’s dedicated. I think it helped that we finally broke down and had a talk. He told me about everything that is going on.

Added Edney, “It means a lot to me that he opened up to me and showed me he cared about his situation at home. It took some time to understand what he’s going through. I know the background now. I know what he has to deal with.”

When Amevor is able to run, he’s been a very productive member of the Scarlet Raider roster.

“He knows how to run,” Edney said. “He’s already broken the school record in the 5K (kilometer, which is 3.1 miles). He’s come a long way. I think now he understands what he has to do. I think he just needed someone to reel him in a little.”

There is just one regret that Edney has.

“This is his last semester of eligibility with us,” Edney said. “I wish we had him for another year. He’s such a good kid. What he does says a lot about him. It says that he’s more mature than others in a lot of different ways.”

Edney said that he had to defend the actions of others on the team when first dealing with Amevor.

“At first, they thought he was a little weird and wasn’t as sociable as others,” Edney said. “I think that came from the fact that Tchaz has only been dealing with his mother and sister. But now, the rest of the team sees he’s a regular guy and a beautiful kid. What he’s been going through and now he’s going to get a degree, it’s amazing.”

Amevor plans to graduate soon with a degree in criminal justice. He would like to pursue a career in immigrations and customs enforcement.

“In some aspect, I’ll be involved in law enforcement,” Amevor said.

He doesn’t get caught up in the idea that he’s something special, considering the dedication he shows daily to his stricken sister.

“I tend not to think about it too much,” Amevor said. “I do have a lot of things to deal with, but I have the same goals and aspirations as everyone else. I want to get stronger and improve as a runner. I know that takes a lot of work. I’m happy with the records I’ve set, but it’s not time for me to be complacent. I have to aim for higher goals.”