I was blessed with speed - VCB
To use the phrase iconic to describe Veronica Campbell-Brown (VCB) is almost doing a disservice to the legendary Jamaican sprinter who many feel deserves an even greater accolade.
Now 38 years old, VCB is slowly transitioning into off the track matters where she has recently launched her new athletic clothing line VCB Fit.
But for the effervescent girl from Clarkes Town, Trelawny, running was always her happy place, a place that made her feel free. A glittering career will always be a fond memory for the eight-time Olympic medallist who reminisced with marketing and public relations consultant Tanya Lee in a YouTube interview recently.
I EMBRACED IT
“From a very young age, I always enjoyed running,” she said. “I would run everywhere I am going. If my mom sent me to the supermarket, I would run. If I am going to the bus stop to catch the bus for school, I would run. Running has been a part of me and then I discovered that I was gifted with speed and I embraced it and worked hard at it.”
At 18 years old, Campbell-Brown made her first Olympic team, going to the Sydney Games with her idol Merlene Ottey. That trip was the catalyst for her astounding 46 medals in her illustrious career, as VCB helped the Jamaica 4x100m relay team to the silver medal, a moment that she will treasure for a lifetime.
“I was excited to be on a team with so many veteran sprinters and Merlene (Ottey) is my role model, so I was excited to be in the atmosphere with her and competing with her,” Campbell-Brown said. “But I was also nervous knowing that
I had the responsibility to make sure I did my part, and do well.
“I was given the pressure second leg to run and a lot of seniors didn’t believe that an 18-year-old was capable of running the second leg. So I had to make sure that I was focused and did my job well. At the end of the day, we got to the finish line and got a medal, and I am very proud that I was able to contribute.”
Campbell-Brown is hopeful that her legacy will continue in Jamaican sprinting.
“Jamaica has a rich history in producing some of the best athletes in the world and my hope is for that trend and legacy to continue,” she said. “Our young people have enough role models to emulate and to use to influence them to work hard and to continue to keep the flag rising high. So I hope that they will continue to keep Jamaica on top of the podium.”