Champs lighting a pathway to success for many
THE 109-YEAR history of the GraceKennedy ISSA Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championship (Champs) is replete with stories of past participants who have gone on to global success. The names roll off the tongue as easily as the alphabet.
Donald Quarrie, Deon Hemmings, Merlene Ottey, Juliet Cuthbert, ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson, Michael Frater and Usain Bolt are just some of the many stars who have successfully managed the transition from Champs to realworld domination.
However, not everyone will make the jump. Of the hundreds of thousands of athletes who have graced the track or the field at Champs, mere hundreds have gone on to represent Jamaica. For most, the lure of the competition means so much more than the objective of global athletic success.
“My experience at Champs was like no other. It was overwhelming. It was beautiful. It was mind blowing,” says Shawna Anderson, who represented Edwin Allen High School between 2003 and 2008, before she accepted a track scholarship to South Plains Junior College, and eventually, to the University of Oklahoma.
“Growing up as a child, I never thought running would have brought me places. I started at a very young age competing on Sundays in my aunt’s driveway, and her husband would reward me with gifts like Supligen,” she explained, chuckling at the memory.
RUNNING WAS FUN
“I love Supligen, so I would run and leave everyone, boy or girl, that he put me up against. So, for me, running was fun and that’s all I thought it was, until someone saw me and brought me to a track meet and I competed like no other.”
Anderson, now a financial adviser, who holds a master’s in human relations and Counselling, won medals for Edwin Allen High and had a standout year in 2008, with gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. She was also third in the long jump.
“Succeeding at Champs is, and was, the most fulfilling experience. It meant everything to me, in ways I can’t explain. But, most importantly, it was crucial for my team; and succeeding meant I played my part,” she said, while also explaining that succeeding also meant she was able to achieve another objective.
“Getting a scholarship was a goal for me, because it meant I would be able to attend college, get an education and become someone. Something that would have been far-fetched otherwise,” shared Anderson. “I honestly couldn’t see myself where I am today if it wasn’t for the scholarship. I knew my parents couldn’t afford to financially support my costly ambition.”