By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
HE was known for his speed and now that he’s officially retired, Olympic and World Championship sprinter Jamial Rolle is taking advantage of his talent in the form of a new business concept that he’s hoping will fast track his post track and field career.
In 2018, Rolle established an app on social media to crack into the technological age with the hopes of expanding not only in the Caribbean, but throughout the United States of America while he is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
“It’s important right now because we see the importance of self quarantine and space distancing,” said Rolle, who knows about delivering speed from an athletic perspective as a former sprinter. “People still need things. I look at the model that they have done here in the United States and in Atlanta.
“All of these businesses are closed. Restaurants are closed, but they are still open for take outs ad deliveries. So they are still making money. They are still striving. People are still getting what they need as they stay home and practice social distancing and the economy is still flowing and people are getting what they need.”
Runnahs.com is an app that states: “You want it. We’ll runnit. Get fast door to door delivery with runnahs on demand.”
Rolle, 39, said the app was created as a market place where anybody who has products to sell will need their services.
“We purchase all of the drafts by delivery,” he said. “People were just used to having food delivered, but we deliver everything legal.”
After he retired from competitive running, Rolle said the app was launched in December 2018 as a means of creating something more challenging, something to remind him of what he did when he was an athlete, who competed for St John’s College and Missouri State University while representing the Bahamas on numerous national teams.
“We have a term, let me get a runner,” he expressed. “You tell somebody ‘run that for me down the road.’ I thought it was a good term to use for the app. I’m still Bahamian. When I told them about it, they said yeah, ‘run that for me. They like that term.’”
At some point in his life, Rolle said he knew that he had to look beyond competing as an athlete.
“I miss competing. I don’t miss training, but I do miss competing,” he stated.
“But this has brought another factor in my life that keeps me busy. It’s a competitive world, so I see things and I see stuff that my competitors have done who have been in it before me.
“For instance, we have something on the app called ‘customs pick up,’ which allows errands to be ran. Let’s say you brought something from one of the shipping companies and you don’t want to go out, you can hire one of our drivers. Let us know your proof of purchase, where it needs to be dropped off to and we will deliver it. It’s an all-inclusive app. We do everything.”
For businesses that need to reach people, Rolle said the app creates an avenue for them to get items delivered.
“Who would have ever thought we would have gotten to this,” he stated. “Business has picked up exponentially for us since we have launched, but we still want to get the word out that this is here for people.
“People were just used to food delivery. That’s what we are trying to get to the people. We can deliver anything legal. Just say you want something from a hardware store or some prescription picked up, especially around this time with the curfew. We can bring you those much needed things. Runnahs is here and we can deliver whatever you need.”
At present, there are over 50 drivers assigned to the app and every day more and more are being added, but haven’t been cleared as yet to function.
“Locally, it’s picked up. We are offering free sign up for companies. We are not charging anybody any fees because at this time, we don’t want to stretch anybody’s pockets,” Rolle stressed.
“We aim to make some money from this, but at the end of the day, our goal is to give back. “We want to help get the items to the customers and help out the businesses. We also want to help the drivers to get into a business. So we’re trying to help out everybody. So the prices are fair and convenient for everybody.”
As a safety precaution, Rolle said he’s staying away from people as much as possible and he’s even using the Runnahs app to get some items that he needs delivered to his home because he is trying to stay as healthy as he can, even though he’s not competing anymore.
While they have a physical location in Sandyport, Rolle said persons can also contact them at www.runnahs.com or info@runnahs.com and on all social media on runnahsondemand. They can view the app on their you tube page by typing runnahs for a full run down of their company.
“We want to encourage companies to join us. We realise that people need things. Businesses still need to make money so it works for everybody,” he summed up.
As a bit of background information, Rolle last competed for the Bahamas in his second Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he failed to advance out of the heats of 100 metres. Two years ago in Xalapa, Mexico, he made his third Central American and Caribbean Games team, this time, falling short of advancing out of the preliminaries of the 200m.
During his career, Rolle also competed at the World Championships in Moscow, Russia, in 2013 in the 200m and as a member of the men’s 4 x 100m relay team. That same year, he also participated in his sixth CAC Championships in Morelia, Mexico.
Rolle also represented the Bahamas at two Pan American Games in 2003 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and in 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico. He also did three Commonwealth Games in 2001 in Manchester, United Kingdom, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia and 2010 in New Delhi, India.
He produced personal best times of 10.16 seconds in the 100m in 2016, 20.51 in the 200m in 2013, 47.26 in the 400m and also posted a lifetime mark of 7.59 metres or 24-feet, 11-inches in the long jump in 2000.
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