The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GOLD Coast, Australia: Grateful for all of the obstacles that he's had to endure during his young career, Stephen 'Dirty' Newbold would not give up the opportunity to continue running track and field for anything in this world.

The 23-year-old quarter-miler said he believes that God has given him the ability to run and he's going to continue to utilise his skills to the fullest.

He's here as a part of the Bahamian delegation that includes 19 track and field athletes, who will be competing in the XXI Commonwealth Games when the athletic competition gets underway on Sunday at the Cararra Stadium. His duties will be for the men's 4 x 400 metre relay, but if the opportunity presents itself for him to compete in the 400m, just like it did to travel here 'Down Under,' Newbold said he will definitely embrace it. In fact, he said the warm reception he’s gotten has inspired him even more.

"It's a wonderful feeling. This is my first time in Australia, my first time in the Gold Coast," he said. "It's lovely weather, lovely people. I can't wait to go out there and perform."

Since he arrived here a couple of days ago, Newbold said he was doing some light shutouts, getting some massages and lifting weights to getting his body acclimatised to the weather.

"Other than the travel route, I'm enjoying myself," he said. "The Games Village is lovely, the officials lovely, the food lovely, I really can't complain. It's just a wait and see process to compete. Everybody know Dirty. I go out there and give it my best, blood, sweat or tears. That is what they can expect from me."

Putting all that he's been through behind him, Newbold said he's concentrating on the future because he wants to get back to where he was and get even further than that.

"I had some injuries that prevented me from going forward, but I take it like a grain of salt," he said. "I thank God, the Father for still allowing me to perform at this point. I had many collegiate, who were aspiring athletes, but they are now working normal jobs. So I thank God for it. I can still compete professionally."

Without the support of his family, Newbold said he knows that it would have been impossible for him to get through his ordeals, which are his ghosts of the past.

"I didn't allow one injury to get to me or one setback to get to me," he insisted. "I believe the Father has a plan for everybody and I believe his plan for me is to run through and to motivate other people. That's what kept me in it."

And even though a lot of the country's elite athletes believe that they have to be in the United States to excel, Newbold said he wants to defy that myth and will continue to work on developing his skills under the tutelage of coach Shaun Miller, the father of Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

"He's a very lovely coach, so I can't wait to perform so that I can show him that his work isn’t going to waste," he stressed. "A lot of people say we don't have all of the resources at home, but I believe we do. We just have to use them wisely and cautiously. Once you know how to improvise, anything is possible."

It's with that possibility Newbold is holding onto a glimmer of hope that he can get a chance to join the field in the men's 400m with the absence of Bahamian national record holder Steven Gardiner, who has withdrew from the team because of visa issues in Florida where he now resides and trains.

"I know they have a last minute technical meeting and anything could happen, but as it stands right now, I am just on the 4 x 4 team" he said.

And Newbold warned their arch rivals to watch out for the Bahamas.

"We have a lot of big countries missing, so if we don't bat up on them here, I don't know what to say," he claimed. "We have a fairly good team. Once everybody bring their A game, our performance should enable us to exceed and be victorious."

If he gets the nod, the heats of the men's 400m will be held on Sunday and Newbold could join Michael Mathieu and Alonzo Russell. If he doesn't, he will settle for the relay that will have heats on Friday, April 13 and the final on Saturday, April 14.