The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Legendary sailor and The Bahamas first Olympic gold medal winner Sir Durward Knowles recently celebrated his 98th birthday. This is an amazing milestone, especially when Sir Durward is still active in so many things and makes a difference in so many Bahamian lives.

It is difficult to fathom that one person has single-handedly altered the course of a country. This has nothing to do with his contributions to his favourite political party and the difference they made; it’s about the many civic and social organisations that Sir Durward has made an impact with and his international accomplishments.

Rotary Club is a cornerstone in this country today. But there was a time when Rotary was not as popular and Sir Durward took over the fundraising and awareness at his club and raised the popularity of Rotary as a whole. He was a fresh breeze for that organisation at the time and since then they have taken on a role unmatched by any other organisation of its kind.

The Bahamas Association of the Physically Disabled (BAPD) is an organisation of which many people are not aware of the work that is being done. But for many years Sir Durward led that association and contributed vastly to their growth. They now have so many things that they lacked in the past, including a full-time physiotherapist. As a result the children are getting their therapy at the headquarters. This was unprecedented and Sir Durward envisioned this and sought the help of Mark Holowesko and others to make sure that this service continues.

In addition, they have a new bus that can now carry these disabled children to many outings and events. Sir Durward called on his many friends to raise the money to buy the bus. This simple act of a bus has relieved so many parents of the burden of transporting their disabled child.

In regards to Ebenezer Methodist Church, Sir Durward has played a pivotal role in the growth and operations of the church. The soup kitchen and other outreach programmes that the church is involved in have experienced the influence of Sir Durward and his generosity to continue their services.

Queen’s College Foundation was headed by Sir Durward for 10 years before he recently retired. The foundation has been instrumental in helping the school build classrooms, an Early Learning Centre and the beautification of the school. Sir Durward again called on his friends to help make a difference in that school. As a result the operations of Queen’s College has been made easier through his efforts.

One Bahamas, an organisation that has made a major impact on the relationships of all Bahamians of every ethnic background, has also felt the impact of Sir Durward. At first it was challenging as many Bahamians did not want to confront race conditions but Sir Durward led the charge, especially when he apologised on behalf of all white Bahamians for the way they were treated in the past. That single act set the tone for One Bahamas to thrive, and today it is gathering tremendous support, especially from corporate Bahamas, such as BTC and others.

The Olympic Movement in the Bahamas is as big as it has ever been, but there was a time when it was struggling. Although most people remember Sir Arlington Butler as the president, it was the many committee members, such as Sir Durward and others, that help the struggling organisation break out. Today nobody remembers their contribution to the building up of athletes through the BOA (at the time).

But here is the real kicker. Sir Durward won the first Olympic gold medal in the history of The Bahamas. But he also won the first Olympic medal when he won bronze medal in 1956. That feat in itself is monumental as the logistics of getting a boat to the Olympics from the Bahamas was mind-boggling.

Since Sir Durward won the World Championships in 1947 he set the tone for what we have today in the Bahamas - tourism. At the time many people had never heard of The Bahamas. But after Sir Durward won that world championship race, everybody heard of The Bahamas, but more importantly many people wanted to now visit. Following the Olympic triumph in 1964, The Bahamas started a Ministry of Tourism and today that is the country’s lifeblood.

There is no question that Sir Durward has made an invaluable contribution and has single-handedly changed the course of an entire country. So as he celebrates the milestone age of 98, we want to recognise him publicly for his contribution to the life we have today.

The government, through the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and headed by Minister Dr Daniel Johnson, have committed to renaming the road at Montagu Knowles and Cooke Drive to recognise the contributions that Sir Durward and Cecil Cooke made to our country by winning the first Olympic gold medal. In addition, there is an effort to erect a statue at Festival Place, Prince George Wharf, to eternally proclaim Sir Durward’s legacy.

Happy birthday Sir Durward and thanks for all that you have done for all Bahamians and for bringing us together as One Bahamas.

TYRONE OLANDER SR

Nassau,

December 13, 2015.