Edwards chases last chance ‘Champs’ dream
JAVIAN Edwards went to the Eastern Athletics Championships at National Stadium last week Tuesday with three clear objectives — win the boys’ javelin Open, break the record, and qualify for the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/gracekennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.
The Oberlin High School student achieved all three objectives with his first throw at Eastern Champs as his 53.20m effort shattered the record of 52.33m set by Raymond Richards of Buff Bay High a year ago and effectively won him the event, while the distance achieved vaulted him into the top six in the event heading into Champs.
Things had been different a year ago for Edwards as his dream of winning the javelin event was snatched away from him with the last throw.
“I was the first to break the record then Raymond (Richards) broke it on his final throw.”
But his tormentor would become is mentor and helped to prepare him for another assault on the record last week.
“Yes, I dreamt of breaking the record again and Raymond was a part of it, he motivated me daily to break the record,” said Edwards.
Conditioned by Tamara Williams-gayle, Edwards was happy to deliver for his beloved coach and keep a promise made to his good friend.
“I am 100 per cent pleased with my performance because I gave my coach what she wanted and I also fulfilled a promise to my friend. I promised (Raymond) from the first time that Eastern Champs was postponed, that I would break the record.”
There was a little bit of disappointment for the final year student however as having broken the record with only his first throw, he wanted to do it again.
“I wanted to break the record again very badly. I am a bit disappointed, but not a lot, because not a lot of people can say they hold a record, so I have to be grateful.”
But Edwards is a dreamer and and he is determined to make all his dreams come true.
“To be honest, what I accomplished at Eastern Champs has done a lot for me because to see myself on the television is a part of my dream, but not just in the Oberlin colours, but in the national colours as well, so I want to take this opportunity to chase that dream.”
Edwards remains level headed about what Champs may bring.
“I know that winning at Champs will be very, very difficult, so I am hoping that whatever I achieve can help me to secure a scholarship overseas. My fate lies at Champs and I will be giving it everything that I have,” he noted.
Interestingly, his athletic career began on the track before he accidentally switched to the field, and the rest, as they say, is history.
“Before I started throwing the javelin, I used to run the 200m because I had a love for it. But one day at training, I went to the weights room and I saw the javelin, so I picked it up and started throwing it.
“At that time Everton Leslie was the coach and that year I threw 43metres the first time I competed, so from then on I developed a love for the javelin.”
Edwards is grateful for what coach Williams-gayle has done for him which extends beyond the training ground.
“She has helped me a lot. She is the one that believes in me the most. She sees things that I haven’t seen. My coach is my second mother in track and field,” he said.
Armed with strong self-belief and steely determination, Edwards is aiming to make his one and only chance count, with absolute certainty.
“I have tried to make it many times, but I never competed at Champs before. This is my last chance and my first opportunity.
“I don’t know what will happen at Champs, but I have to have faith and belief, but from this end, anything is possible,” he concluded.
Edwards is one of five athletes who will represent Oberlin High at this year’s championships.
THE Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA) is confident that widening the pool of certified regional coaches will allow its member associations to be better equipped to compete against the best in the world.
Countries in the Americas have not been able to crack the dominance that top-ranked Australia, current world champions New Zealand, and — to a lesser extent — England have had in netball. Over the past two decades only Jamaica have had a World Cup podium finish, winning bronze in 2003 and 2007.
“We are about empowering our coaches with the knowledge to create that winning advantage,” AFNA secretary Bridget Adams told the
in reference to the latest plans to improve coaching standards.
“We would like to certify every coach in the region so that our netball product can soar to new heights, thereby having more teams ranked higher, and not just have Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in the top 10 spots,” said Adams, a member of the INF Coaching Advisory Panel.
AFNA, headed by former Netball Jamaica President Marva Bernard, governs countries from the Caribbean, as well as South, Central and North America.
Though players from the region are viewed as some of the most talented in the world the International Netball Federation (INF) team rankings indicate
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