In the quiet corners of Buff Bay, Portland, Kildare District to be precise, a young Jamaican high jumper once told his mother, “Mommy, I know you want me in a shirt and tie, but I’m not that person. I’m going to make you proud.” On Friday morning in Nanjing, China, Raymond Richards fulfilled that promise.

Competing in his first major international meet, the 24-year-old soared to a height of 2.28m to claim the bronze medal in the men’s high jump at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships, delivering Jamaica’s first medal of the competition. He finished behind South Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo, who won gold with a clearance of 2.31m, and New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, who took silver on countback.

For Richards’ mother, Yvonne Oakley, the moment was nothing short of emotional. “I was so elated,” she said in an exclusive interview with SportsMax.TV. “I didn’t see it live, but someone sent me a clip. I know he's been jumping well all season. I am so elated."

Indeed, Richards had given clear signs that he was ready for the world stage. Earlier this year, he cleared 2.31m at the Queens/Grace Jackson Invitational, a performance that would have equalled the winning height in Nanjing. However, the mark was not ratified because the meet is not registered with World Athletics.

Still, Richards proved his form was no fluke when he cleared 2.30m at the World Indoor Qualifier at GC Foster College on March 1—an effort that sealed his ticket to the World Indoor Championships.

Richards' journey into athletics was anything but linear. He first dabbled in baseball, then moved on to football, and later, the javelin. But it was in the high jump that he found his calling. He honed his talent at Titchfield High School and later at Buff Bay High, where his potential truly began to blossom under the guidance of vice principal Kevin Brown, whom his mother credits for instilling discipline and direction.

“I wanted him to do something else,” Oakley admitted. “But he told me that athletics was his path, and I just had to let him go and support him.”

Support him she did. Through every jump, training session, and meet, Oakley—who works as a household helper—stood firmly behind her son, encouraging and praying for him. “I just allowed him to do what he loved, and today it has borne fruit,” she said.