RADO official spreads the message in St Lucia

CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC):

Tessa Chadderton-Shaw says her mission is to ensure sport in the Caribbean remains free of drugs.

The administrator of the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) said it was important for athletes to understand that they can perform at an optimal level without the unfair advantage of drug use to enhance performances.

Shaw was recently in the island to meet with officials of the St Lucia Olympic Committee, officers of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, including Permanent Secretary Donovan Williams.

She addressed students of the St Joseph Convent, and engaged the media during a news conference as part of her itinerary in St Lucia.

"I must say that I am satisfied with what I have learnt in my meetings in St Lucia, and the commitment is strong," she said.

"I sense a very sincere effort and great energy. I was very impressed with the types of questions and awareness I got from the students at the school, many of whom were athletes."

Doping control

Chadderton-Shaw is responsible for the management of anti-doping in 14 regional countries, which form RADO, an organisation established six years ago and acts as a satellite of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which is based in Montreal, Canada.

"Doping control relies essentially on the cooperation, collaboration, and cohesion between ministries of sport, Olympic committees and, in some cases, national anti-doping organisation," she said.

"Anti-doping education underpins everything we do. Young athletes must understand why doping in sports must not be tolerated, and there must be a zero-tolerance policy."

Chadderton-Shaw said doping control or testing are areas in which the media can play a very meaningful role.

"You are a very important change agent to get the message out," she said. "Any athlete should be concerned about all drugs, whether legal or illegal.

"Those that would be banned according to the World Anti-Doping Code, there are various categories, including pharmaceuticals. Strict liability is the operative catchword for any athlete because he or she is totally responsible for what is consumed."

testing of athletes

As it relates to actual testing of athletes, Chadderton-Shaw noted that doping control officers in RADO member countries were responsible for the process.

"In this region, we only test for urine," she said. "In other larger countries that have resources, they would analyse blood, but the doping protocols have to follow certain steps.

"The respect for the athlete is important. You don't just ask somebody to strip to give a urine sample. We have to ensure that the process is professional and conducted with the highest level of integrity.

"The doping control officer has the ultimate responsibility of completing specific forms that the athlete also signs, and he makes sure it is as flawless and professional as possible.

"Even the bathroom used has to be a designated doping control station, in that no one else is given use."

Chadderton-Shaw said that RADO had been successful, but stressed that success depended largely on the motivation of board members in the respective countries to drive the process.

This, she said, would also be dependent on the level of financial and other resources from their respective governments.

"I think generally good progress has been made, but we can do better in some countries," she said.

"I am reluctant to give figures, but one positive drug find is sufficient for us to be concerned, because if we think of the Olympic values, then once someone is cheating we should all be worried."

RADO is based in Barbados and acts as the secretariat for anti-doping issues for Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman islands, Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos.