Racers rewards excellence

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

There can be no doubt that the Glen Mills-founded Racers Track Club is one of the world's leading organisations in its field. Since its inception, it has been at the forefront of unearthing and honing track talent for national and international readiness.

Prior to Glen Mills, there were very few options for young track talent who wanted to hone their skills for international competition and so many a promising talent was lost by the wayside, as the facility and expertise were thought unavailable. This led to a number of young athletes going overseas in search of the 'proper' coaches and or coaching facilities.

Sadly for many, the trek overseas met with very little success as due to a multiplicity of factors, including culture, climate and behaviour, many were never more than bit players in the international sporting arena despite their youthful promise.

But enter Mills, a rather unassuming character, definitely not your publicity hound, who quietly set about moulding young track athletes into champions.

And with as little fanfare as possible, but with remarkable results, Mills began changing the face of athletics both nationally and internationally. He used his formula of discipline and the prospect of young athletes progressing to earn national and international stardom. Racers Track Club not only had the world sitting up to take notice of Jamaican athletes, the club became an international destination for all aspiring athletes.

With a slew of successful stars, particularly the world-breaking feats of its uber star Usain Bolt, Racers had finally found its place in the international sporting arena. In so doing, it contributed to making Jamaica, the sprint capital of the world of athletics. So little wonder that the time would come when Racers would salute its roster of stars in acknowledgement of their outstanding contribution to the club, Jamaica and the world.

Preferred place

On Friday, January 6, the place to be was The Jamaica Pegasus hotel for the inaugural staging of the club's Zenith Awards, appropriately dubbed: 'Saluting Excellence'. And dears, we are talking prime time here and nothing but, as the $15,000 per plate gala awards presentation and dinner was all that, and then some. Special guest and keynote speaker was the legendary Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the Organising Committee for the London 2012 Olympics and vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Dears, talk about a coup!

Well, getting Lord Sebastian Coe was just that; he was the most appropriate person to guest at the inaugural stage of such an event. It was a gathering of not only the current reigning galaxy of track stars, but also a number of luminaries out in support of their successors. It made for a fabulous showing of unity and continuity.

And then there were political representatives, the private sector and a number of leading personalities from track and field; and naturally, fashionistas and the beautiful people, all out in support of a noble start to what is expected to become one of track and field's international calendar event!

With Simon Croskill as master of ceremonies, you know we are talking the gift of the raconteur with the ability to make a night that was a tad long appear otherwise! Anyway, the fare was equal to the stature of the occasion and with Tarrus Riley in command performance of his now signature She's Royal, it was some night!

Those in attendance included newly elected Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller; Minister of Mining and ICT Phillip Paulwell and the lovely Donna Aris; Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, member of parliament; Caymanian Premier McKeeva Bush; Lord Sebastian Coe; British High Commissioner Howard Drake; Sandra Aris, who was given a special award in honour of her late husband, Howard Aris' contribution to track and field; the Honourable Mike and Peggy Fennell; Robert MacMillan; Dr Aggrey Irons; Dr Herb Elliott; Dr Warren Blake; Dr Carl Bruce; Dr Akshai Mansingh; the fab Dr Paula Dawson; Mark Linehan; Leon Mitchell; Chris Nakash and his fab wife, Zein Issa-Nakash and her twin-sister, the lovely Muna Issa.

Also out were the affable Steven Lyn-Kee-Chow; the lovely Allison Peart; Ali McNab; former world and Olympic sprint champion Donovan Bailey; Bertland Cameron; Grace Jackson; sports agent Ricky Simms; Jason Corrigan; designing siblings Angelie Martin-Spencer and Arlene Martin; and awardees Olympian Usain Bolt; Yohan Blake; Germaine Gonzales; Rosemarie Whyte; Allodin Fothergill; Marvin Anderson; Davita Prendergast; Mario Forsythe; Daniel Bailey; Celia Walters; Kemar Bailey Cole; Warren Weir; Schillonie Calvert; Sheereda Lloyd; Josef Robertson; and supporting staff Carmen Clarke; Pat Lue-Chen; Wendy Peart; and Sabrina Hoilett, among others.