Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce was the toast of South Florida at the Miramar Cultural Centre in South Florida on Tuesday night at a red-carpet event that also served as an auction and fundraiser for her Pocket Rocket Foundation.
At the event dubbed ‘An Evening with an Olympian’, the four-time Olympian raised thousands of US dollars auctioning a pair of her running spikes, competition gear, a wig, a painting of mother and son by Mark Cameron and a weekend stay at the Altamont West Hotel.
However, the high-points of the evening were the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to the four-time 100m World Champion by Consul General Oliver Mair, the keys to the city of Miramar and Broward County as well as having Alexandra Davis, a City Commissioner for Miramar, declare November 16, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Day.
Consul General Mair told Sportsmax.TV that it was an evening when everything went according to plan and that Fraser-Pryce made it worth the while for all who turned out. She engaged the guests in conversation and took pictures with all who had requested.
“We have many icons that have made Jamaica proud; Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley, Miss Lou, Usain Bolt, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is among the most decorated athletes of all time and she has done in a most respectable and humble manner,” said Consul General Mair, who presented Fraser-Pryce with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Her focus is always looking to empower others. Even in her book ‘The Promise’ she seeks to empower young people. Her foundation was also set up to support others.
“She has been doing this since 2008 in the sport, a woman who has put Jamaica on the world map following in the footsteps of Merlene Ottey and Veronica Campbell-Brown.”
For her part, Fraser-Pryce said she was thankful for the turnout and support she received for her foundation.
“Thank you to those in attendance especially the individuals that supported the auction,” she said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
“I cannot forget those persons that donated despite not being able to attend. As more is poured into me, the more I will continue to pour out to others. This is how we create lasting change for generations to come.”
Since 2008, when she became the first Jamaican woman to win an Olympic 100m title, Fraser-Pryce has gone on to create a legacy as arguably the greatest female sprinter in history. She won Olympic 100m titles in Beijing in 2008 and again in London in 2012 and is one of only four women to do the same – Wyoma Tyus (1964, ’68), Gail Devers (1992, ’96) and Elaine Thompson-Herah (2016, ’21).
Along the way, Fraser-Pryce also won four 100m World titles (2009, 2013, 2017 and 2019) as well as a 200m title in 2013.
This past summer, Fraser-Pryce added to her already rich legacy when she won a silver medal in the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the only woman to win medals in the Olympic 100m for four consecutive Games.
She added a third Olympic gold medal to her trophy case as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that won in a national record 41.02, the third-fastest time ever.
Her work off the track has also been extraordinary. Through the Pocket Rocket Foundation, she has provided scholarships to scores of student-athletes enabling them to complete their high school education and to pursue tertiary education.
She has also hosted an annual Christmas treat for the children of Waterhouse where for the past few years she has also staged a six-a-side football competition aimed at maintaining peace within the under-served community.
Meanwhile, Consul General Mair said he was thankful to Jamaican-born elected officials in South Florida for their support of the event notwithstanding the short notice they had, explaining that they have always been supportive of similar ventures that are beneficial to the Diaspora.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Christania Williams and Coach Unfried target return to personal best ahead of Jamaica National Championships
Christania Williams, the talented Jamaican sprinter and 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist, is setting her sights on reclaiming her peak form as she gears up for the Jamaica National Championships in June, with her eyes firmly set on securing a spot at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
Since her impressive performance as part of Jamaica's silver-medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Williams, now 29, has faced setbacks due to injuries and other undisclosed health concerns. However, under the guidance of her coach, Philipp Unfried, she is focused and determined to return to her personal best time of 10.96 seconds.
Unfried outlined their strategy for the upcoming season, emphasizing Williams' goal of nearing or even surpassing her personal best. "The plan for 2024 is to get close to where she was, close to her PB or maybe around PB," stated Unfried. "She is going to do some more races now in preparation for trials and training went really well so far."
At the Velocity Fest 15 on Saturday meeting held at the Ashenheim Stadium in Jamaica, Williams demonstrated her potential by clocking a time of 11.76 seconds into a headwind in her qualifying heat, securing second place behind Remona Burchell, who won the heat in 11.52 seconds. Despite challenging conditions with winds affecting her heat, Williams progressed to the B final.
In the B final, Williams improved her performance, achieving a season's best time of 11.56 seconds. Although she finished second in the final, Williams' progress is indicative of her determination and gradual return to top form.
"Mentally, I am ready," expressed Williams. "The aim right now is to get back to my personal best. There is no pressure. Right now the focus is on me, just taking it one step at a time."
Williams acknowledged the mental fortitude required to overcome setbacks and stay focused on her goals. "It's about going into the race and doing exactly what I do in training," she affirmed. "I know I have a lot of potential, I still believe there is more in there and I still haven’t reached my full potential."
Despite the obstacles she has faced, Williams remains resolute in her determination to move forward. "With all that has happened in the past, I am just trying to put that behind and move forward," she explained. "I do have days when that really gets to me mentally but it’s life. If something happens, you don’t use that to keep yourself down."
As Williams continues her journey towards peak performance, supported by the unwavering guidance of Coach Unfried, the upcoming Jamaica National Championships will serve as a crucial stepping stone towards her ultimate goal of representing Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Asafa Powell's absence cost Jamaica a faster 4x100m world record in 2012, suggests Gatlin
In a recent episode of the Ready, Set, Go podcast, American sprint legend Justin Gatlin delved into the hypotheticals of Jamaica's historic 4x100m relay run at the London 2012 Olympics, suggesting that the world record of 36.84 seconds could have been even faster had former world record holder Asafa Powell been part of the lineup.
Powell, renowned for his blistering speed having held the 100m world record at 9.77 and 9.74s, missed out on the opportunity to join the likes of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, and Usain Bolt in that record-breaking relay team due to a groin injury sustained during the final of the 100m.
Gatlin, reflecting on the potential of the Jamaican squad, speculated that adding Powell to the mix could have propelled them to an astonishing 36.5-second mark.
"Adding Asafa Powell to that already formidable lineup of Bolt, Blake, Carter, and Frater could have pushed the team to an even faster time," Gatlin remarked on his podcast. Powell's absence, while the team still delivered Olympic gold, left room for speculation on just how much quicker they could have been.
Gatlin, a seasoned sprinter himself, understands the unique pressure and responsibility that comes with relay events. "There is a difference between being an individual runner at the Olympics or world championships and being part of a relay team," he explained. "If you falter as an individual, it's on you; but in a relay, it's on the country's back."
Reflecting on the challenges of breaking a world record in relay events, Gatlin emphasized the need for everything to align perfectly. "36.8 is a gigantic order. 37 low is a tall order," he admitted. "Everyone needs to be in peak condition and ready to run."
Looking ahead to the future, Gatlin also weighed in on Team USA's chances of breaking the 12-year-long Jamaican 4x100m relay world record in 2024. "It's going to take a near-perfect performance from a team firing on all cylinders to surpass what Jamaica achieved in 2012," Gatlin predicted.
Texas A&M’s Farquharson establishes new meet record to win 800m at Alumni Muster
Jamaican Texas A&M junior Kimar Farquharson continued his winning ways in the 800m this season with victory at the Alumni Muster held in College Station, Texas on Saturday.
The former Calabar High star was in dominant form, winning the event in 1:47.26, a new meet record.
More than two seconds behind Farquharson in second was teammate Caden Norris (1:49.62) while Tracksmith’s Luca Chatham was third in 1:50.71.
This was Farquharson’s second 800m win of the season as he ran 1:46.69 to beat countrymen Navasky Anderson and Tarees Rhoden to victory at the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida on April 13.
Interestingly, the 22-year-old has also established a new personal best in the 400m this season with 45.70 at the Battle of the Bayou in Baton Rouge on March 30.
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