Digicel

The 21-year-old Williams, who is currently in Budapest as a member of Jamaica’s team to the 2023 World Athletics Championships that get underway on Saturday, August 19, is Jamaica’s youngest ever Olympic gold medallist.

William expressed her delight at the renewed partnerships.

“I am thrilled to extend my partnership with Digicel and Grace Foods. Jamaica has many accomplished athletes in the sprints, so I don’t take for granted how special it is to have the continued support of not one, but two of the most iconic brands in Jamaica,” she shared.

“This motivates me to continue to give my best, and I look forward to helping in any way I can at the upcoming World Championships, and of course, for next season, making Jamaica’s team in an individual event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.”

Williams signed sponsorship deals with Jamaican brands at the start of her professional career in 2020 at just 18 years old. The rising star was the 2018 World U20 sprint double champion, and the Austin Sealy awardee at the CARIFTA Games in 2018 and then 2019, for her records set and gold medals earned in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay in both editions. She is the only Jamaican to win the award two years in a row since Usain Bolt in 2004.

At 19 in 2021, Briana became Jamaica’s youngest Olympic Gold medallist as part of the 4x100m relay team at the Tokyo Olympics. She also helped Jamaica to 4x100m silver at the World Championships in Oregon.

Tanya Lee Perkins, Head of Leep Marketing and Jamaica sponsorship managers for Briana Williams, lauded both brands for their renewed partnerships stating, “There is always a bit of a gamble involved when brands sign athletes at the start of their professional careers, and both Digicel and GraceKennedy did so during the pandemic. Briana has delivered two medals for Jamaica since then, and most importantly, she continues to give back through her philanthropic efforts. The partnerships have been mutually beneficial.”

GraceKennedy (GK) Group CEO Don Wehby commented, “Briana is a talented and focused young athlete with a strong determination to succeed. We are happy to support her scholarship for student-athletes and proud to be a part of her journey."

Digicel Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Murad, shared similar sentiments sayinf, “Briana has been an exceptional ambassador over the past three years. We appreciate her collaborative spirit, fun-loving personality, and her commitment to giving back to her athletic community, which truly exemplifies her character and aligns with Digicel’s core values. Digicel has a great “track” record of building great partnerships in Sport and Briana is a shining example for Jamaica’s athletes of today and tomorrow.”

 Despite an injury-plagued start to her 2023 season, Williams has made Jamaica’s team to the World Championships in Budapest as a 100m alternative and part of women’s 4x100m relay pool.

As an ambassador, the 18-year-old Williams joins track and field legends Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as well as dancehall icon Rodney ‘Bounty Killer’ Price, who already represent the Caribbean’s leading telecommunications provider. 

"Bold. Strong. Brave. Briana speeds over to take her place in our league of Brand Ambassadors. Help us welcome Briana Williams @briana.nichole," Digicel posted on  Instagram Friday.

“With extreme delight and boundless confidence, we welcome Briana as our newest brand ambassador. She is truly an inspiration to many, and we are very optimistic about what this means for the future of our relationship with our customers, as she helps us to accelerate us along this new path to becoming their digital lifestyle partner,” Nasha-Monique Douglas, Chief Marketing Officer for Digicel Jamaica added.

In her new role, Williams will help keep Digicel’s customers engaged with its suite of apps while engaging the wider community through mentorship and her performances on the track.

“This is a dream come true for me and so I feel humbled and grateful to be representing such an iconic brand with such a rich history of supporting athletics in Jamaica,” Williams said of this latest milestone in her burgeoning career. “I look forward to representing Digicel the best way I can, alongside the other amazing ambassadors across sports and entertainment."

At the age of 16, Williams - coached by Ato Boldon and represented by US-based agents HSI Sports as well as Jamaica-based brand managers, LEEP Marketing - won 2018 World U20 sprint double in Tampere, Finland. Her winning time of 22.50 in the 200m was a personal best and championship record.

She also won the NACAC U18 100m title in Mexico and the Pan Am U20 100m title in Costa Rica in 2019.

During that span, she also won six gold medals at the Carifta Games in the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, respectively, and awarded the coveted Austin Sealy Award as the games MVP on both occasions. In doing so, she became the first Jamaican since Usain Bolt in 2004 to win back-to-back awards.

Williams also holds the national junior record of 11.02s set in New Mexico in June 2019.

Special Olympics champion, Alphanso Cunningham and reggae storyteller, Jesse Royal are also brand ambassadors for Digicel.

This is the Nike-sponsored William’s second endorsement deal this month, having signed with GraceKennedy on July 1.

This year, Digicel Jamaica partnered with fellow ‘red brands’, Red Stripe, Grace and KFC, to continue the tradition with even greater fanfare.

The weeklong initiative formed part of the digital operator’s ‘One Jamaica’ campaign, aimed at uniting Jamaicans in a collective show of support for the nation’s athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“The Olympic Village brings us together as we continue to rise from the challenges of Hurricane Beryl,” said Chief Marketing Officer at Digicel Tari Lovell.

“Digicel was eager to be part of something truly special to rally unity and cheer on our athletes. In times of challenge and celebration, we stand together as One Jamaica, and this Olympic season is no exception,” he added.

Williams, who now trains in Jamaica, feted children at the Paradise Community Centre from 10am to 3pm. The children enjoyed playing on bounce-about rides, a Santa Village, a games screen and gifts from Digicel.

Grace Foods provided boxed lunches, beverages and snacks to each child. 

"For the last two treats, we had to deliver the gifts to each home wearing masks because of the pandemic,” Williams said.

“It's nice to host a fun day and interact with the community. This is what makes Christmas special for the children.

“Special thanks to my sponsors Digicel, Grace Foods and KIG Jamaica for making this a reality for the last three years".

She began by expressing her deep gratitude to the sponsors, partners, and friends who had supported the foundation over the past decade. "It's because of your generosity why we're here this evening that we're able to celebrate 10 years of the Pocket Rocket Foundation. The impact and the legacy that we have had throughout the 10 years is all because of you," she emphasized.

Turning her attention to the foundation's origin, Fraser-Pryce shared the motivation behind its creation. "Now, the reason I have the Pocket Rocket Foundation is because for all of my life, there are so many persons that poured into who I was and who I was going to become. They saw vision, they saw hope, they saw so much more, and it's because of that why we have the Pocket Rocket Foundation."

The five-time World 100m champion recognized the importance of balancing education and sports to transform lives, a lesson she learned early in her life. "When I was in Waterhouse, I always knew; like my mom would say to me that sports was going to be my way out. We have to learn to strike the balance between education and sport to transform your life, and I learned that early that that was going to be the case."

She stressed the significance of service, explaining, "Service is our greatest strength. I've always believed that. For those who serve, you are powerful. It's your strength that's where you lead from. I crossed the line and I wanted to give back."

The three-time Olympic gold medalist praised her then manager, Bruce James, who helped her set up the foundation. "I said to Mr. (Bruce) James I needed to start my foundation, and I wanted to have impact. I don't want to start a foundation because it looks good on paper or it sounds good. I want to start a foundation because I want to have impact. I want to give student athletes the same privilege, the same chance to dream, to plant a seed, to have hope."

She thanked the foundation's initial supporters, including GraceKennedy, Digicel, and Nike, for providing the initial funding. Sagicor's contribution, providing a rent-free home for the foundation for almost two years, was especially noteworthy. Shelly-Ann recognized the importance of transparency and integrity in her foundation's operations.

Throughout her speech, Shelly-Ann expressed her gratitude to her sponsors for their unwavering support. "There's never a time that I've called on any of my sponsors to say, I need your support, I need to donate food, I need toys for the kids, I need bags, and they're always there. I've never heard I can't. It's always yes."

Shelly-Ann then highlighted the impact the Pocket Rocket Foundation had on student athletes. "73 student athletes over the 10 years. It's just remarkable for me to have seen a lot of you transcend so many different things."

She mentioned examples like Tahj Lumley, one of the foundation's first recipients, who became the national squash coach, and Jovaine (Atkinson), who became a pilot. "When you talk about them, it is hope and that is the seed that we have planted in their lives because of you. I want to be able to fuel those dreams and help them surpass their own expectations."

The foundation's initiatives, including the breakfast program with GraceKennedy, aimed to make a difference in the Waterhouse community. Shelly-Ann emphasized the importance of providing every child with access to nutritious meals, regardless of their family's circumstances.

Discussing the foundation's football program, she said, "When you talk about peace through sports, that's what our football program does. It's bringing young men from different communities who are otherwise pre-occupied or not speaking. We're able to bridge that gap because of that football competition."

Shelly-Ann hoped for a better, more united Waterhouse through her foundation's efforts. "That's the Waterhouse that I want. That's the Waterhouse that I'm dreaming of. We want to have impact, we want to have legacy."

In closing, Shelly-Ann emphasized that her own journey was a blueprint for the student athletes. "You can have balance. Having that balance and striking that balance is difficult, but it's possible. I did it. I am the blueprint. I am showing them the way.”

Several sponsors received awards on the night for their contributions to the Pocket Rocket Foundation (PRF) over the past decade.  GraceKennedy Ltd received the Pocket Rocket Foundation Pinnacle Award, Nike received the PRF Trailblazer Award, the PRF Standout Performer went to Wisynco, the PRF Start Award went to Sagicor, the PRF Change Award went to Digicel and the PRF Trendsetter Award was received by American Friends of Jamaica.

The four-time World 100-metre champion, in partnership with sponsors Digicel and GraceKennedy, on Tuesday presented tablets as well as data SIM cards to the National online learning program.

Fifty 50 tablets were distributed courtesy of the champion sprinter - 25 to The Wolmer’s High School For Girls and 25 to The Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Resource Centre.  Digicel for whom Fraser-Pryce is an ambassador, donated 10 of the tablets along with 30 SIM cards already loaded with 10 GB anywhere data per month for one year. The SIM cards provide zero-rated access to over 100 educational websites. The remaining 40 tablets were purchased personally Mrs. Fraser-Pryce

At the community level, Fraser-Pryce also donated two desktop computers with GraceKennedy donating an additional four to outfit the Centre’s Computer Room which now features 25 tablets and six work stations equipped with comfortable swivel chairs.

The 33-year-old iconic athlete said this latest gesture serves in some way to offset another of her initiatives that she was forced to cancel this year because of the ongoing pandemic.

“Not being able to host what would have been the eighth consecutive SFP Six-A-Side “Peace Through Sports” Football competition has been extremely disappointing but I’m grateful that the opportunity presented itself to re-focus my outreach efforts on the completion of the Resource Centre,” she told Sportsmax.TV.

“Since the $5-million renovation by the Digicel Foundation, the space still lacked the necessary infrastructure to make it functional. I’m very happy to have the computer room up and running.”

 She reserved special praise for D.O.S.2009 Ltd, distributors of Ricoh Multifunction Copiers and Software Solutions for the installation of the access point for wireless connection and facilitating the acquisition of a multi-function high volume printer which allows the students to print, copy and email from each station.

Present at the handing over ceremony were GraceKennedy’s Ricardo Smith and Digicel Brand Marketing Manager Reshima Kelly.