Fraser keen to help kids avoid crime

SHANGHAI, China (CMC):The lucrative IAAF Diamond League is not the only goal on Jamaican sprinter Shelly Ann Fraser's mind these days.

Away from the track, the reigning 100-metres World and Olympic champion has been devoting much of her time to her new role as the first UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador for Jamaica.

Fraser said she had found the role of helping to motivate underprivileged children extremely gratifying, especially considering the community where she grew up in Jamaica.

"One of the reasons I think I was so excited to be a part of the UNICEF scheme is that in Jamaica I am from an area where a lot of violence and crime has been happening," she said, referring to a volatile community in the Jamaican parish of St Andrew.

"I have seen where a lot of girls or boys my age, they either didn't get to finish high school, or they died or something bad of that sort.

"So I can understand from that standpoint to know what children are going through in Jamaica and go to schools to help."

Fraser rose to prominence at the Beijing Olympics two years ago when she streaked to an upset victory in the 100 metres in the Chinese capital.

Last year, she reiterated her status as one of the world's leading sprinters by repeating her victory at the World Championships in Berlin.

determined child

The 23-year-old said her background had prepared her for the current role with UNICEF and though she grew up in trying circumstances, she had determined from an early age that she would succeed.

"If you take somebody from Upper St Andrew in Jamaica, which is somewhere that is upper class, to talk to somebody from an area such as Waterhouse, where I'm from, they won't understand because they are not from the area, they will not know what they are going through," Fraser said.

"I am coming from the same situation, so I can relate to them and help them to understand that even though things may not be the way you want them to be there is always something called dreams.

"Once you dream and follow your dreams and just work hard and not just follow everything in your community, things can happen."

She added: "I can tell you that a lot of things happen there in Waterhouse, you'd be pretty, pretty surprised to see what happens there. When I grew up I said that I'm not going to become a statistic, I'm not going to become one of those young girls who decide not to go to school.

"I decided to find a way out which was through education and also through my talent. So I did that.

"And now my work for UNICEF is focused on talking to children about crime and violence, which is important for me because I get to express myself and actually tell them things that I have gone through and seen and to tell them not turn to violence but try to elevate themselves to something different."

Yesterday, Fraser finished second in the women's 100 dash with a time of 11.29 seconds. American Carmelita Jeter continued her impressive early season winning form to clock 11.09.