The Tribune

IT was a special day for the students of North Andros as they got a chance to meet international track and field stars Shaunae Miller and Jeffery Gibson up close and personal.

The two were taken to Andros by Wellington Miller, president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee and a native of Andros.

Miller said he felt obligated to ensure that the athletes got a chance to visit the island and inspire the students as the respective number two ranked female quarter-miler and No.5 male 400 metre hurdler in the world this year.

“The trip was a very good one. I would give it an A grade,” Miller said. “I know the students from both the primary and the high schools all appreciated having them at their schools.

“We saw the children’s eyes light right up when they saw Jeffery and Shaunae. It showed that Bahamians love their athletes and that they follow their athletes. They gave out some good instructions to the students. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m proud that the Bahamas Olympic Committee took them to North Andros. I wished we could have done the whole island, but maybe next time we will do it.”

The one-day trip on Friday started at Nicholls Town Primary School, followed by North Andros High, and ended at Lowe Sound Primary, where students from Bertram A Newton Primary joined in. The athletes also visited Mastic Point Primary School, where both Miller and Gibson are shown above posing with their students.

At each location, Miller and Gibson were able to talk about their track careers that started at the age of six and 15 respectively and have excelled to the point where they won a silver in the women’s 400 metres and bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles at the 15th IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, in August.

The duo showed off their medals to the athletes. Gibson also displayed the gold he won at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, in July. They also talked about their preparation for their events and what they are looking forward to going into the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“Although we try our best in athletics and we achieve these great feats, we couldn’t be here without our education,” said Gibson, who started at Queen’s College before moving to Grand Bahama where he attended Bishop Michael Eldon and eventually graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“We want to encourage all of you to continue to work hard. Just as you work hard in track and field and in your other areas of sports, you can work hard with your education. You may not get a gold medal in running, but you can get a gold medal in maths, science, reading and all sorts of education.”

Miller, a graduate of St Augustine’s College who is now enrolled in online classes at the University of Arkansas, said she loves what she has been doing for the past 15 years.

“There’s a lot of work ahead of you,” she said. “Everybody wants to go to college, but in order to go, you have to do your work now. It’s not easy, but if me and Jeffery Gibson can do it, you can do it too.”

At North Andros High, the group was met by Member of Parliament Dr Perry Gomez, who also serves as the minister of health.

“They are among the best athletes in the world and they come from right here in the Bahamas,” Gomez said. “We are proud of these two young people and we hope that you will be proud of yourself because you can achieve it as well.”

Among those accompanying the athletes from Andros were Michelle Bowleg, district superintendent and Brian Cleare, chief counsellor for local government and the youth and sports officer for Andros.

“First and foremost, let me thank and congratulate Mr Miller for bringing the athletes in. I think their visit here today will inspire the youth to work even harder,” Cleare said.

“We have a number of our athletic programmes and camps on the island, so by having them here, I know that their visit will encourage and motivate them to do good.”

Cleare noted that in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) this year, the North Andros Seminoles track team made a name for themselves and they are hoping to build on their performances next year.

However, he noted that coach John Ingraham lost some of their top athletes who were recruited by some of the top private institutions in New Providence, but he’s confident that the Seminoles will remain the vibrant force that it has become over the last few years.

“I was extremely pleased that both a male and female came. They gave the athletes and the student bodies a pep talk and I’m sure their presence here today will ensure that they will continue to work even harder,” Cleare said.

“We want to do well again next year at the nationals. A lot of the students who did well this year are in the 12th grade and so they would have gotten a taste of the competition and so they know what they have to do to continue to excel next year.”

Ingraham, who was named the head coach of this year’s CARIFTA team, said their athletes were just thrilled to have both Miller and Gibson on the island and in their school.

“I think they were able to motivate the athletes and let them know what could happen to them and I think they are more motivated than ever before,” said Ingraham, who noted that there are at least 40 athletes who are consistently out to practice.

“I think this will boost their moral and allow them to perform even better than they did this year. So it was a privilege to have both of them here. When I was competing, I remembered watching Jeffery as a younger athlete competing and the first time I saw Shaunae run was in Grand Bahama and I was also impressed with what I saw in both of them.”

One of the athletes inspired by their presence at North Andros High was Donovan Storr, a 17-year-old 12th grader who competes in the 200 and 400 metres.

“I’m elated. I really look up to them, so I’m happy that they came to our school,” Storr said. “I went to SAC before so I have that SAC pride in seeing Shaunae and Jeffery is a good athlete. I followed both of their careers and I’m really impressed with the way they have performed.”

And Antrinique Winston, a 14-year-old 12th grader who does the sprint events, said it was an “amazing feeling” for her to see both Miller and Gibson. She noted that Miller is listed as a “role model” for her to follow as another female and hopes “to one day be just as good or even better than her.”

During their stops, the athletes were presented with gifts from the schools. At North Andros High, they also got a gift of bananas from Ayratt Lightbourne, the coordinator of BAMSI.