Forte’s viral videos keep Olympians connected

With the coronavirus requiring us to stay apart, Olympian Julian Forte helped Jamaicans and people across the world to feel connected to the Jamaican team at the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympics by sharing his now-viral ‘behind the scenes’ videos from the Games.

With the use of his YouTube channel, Forte gave the public a closer view of what the team does and how they interacted with each other - something which media companies couldn’t necessarily provide because of coronavirus and other restrictions.

“I thought it would be really interesting to those who are following the Olympics to get a closer look at how we are off the track,” Forte said.

Forte made many videos looking at the training, socialising and travel experience of the Jamaican team; with some of these videos going viral.

“I wasn’t really surprised but I didn’t expect it to go that viral- I’m just really glad people like it,” he said.

MOST VIEWED VIDEO

The most viewed video so far is titled ‘Behind The Scenes Moments Before The Women’s 100m Final’ and has over 226,000 views.

He said this has caused a positive impact on his YouTube channel.

“My YouTube has grown tremendously as a result of the videos I put out during the Olympics,” he said. “ I’m grateful for it because the original plan for my channel was to give the world a glimpse into what it takes to get to where we are and maybe motivate and educate others in the process.”

The sprinter now has over 17,000 subscribers and thousands of views for each video.

He said he started his YouTube channel out of his love for photography and videography but he also wanted to share his athletic experiences.

“I have a love for videography and photography and I remember, before I was good enough to make it to the Olympics, I used to always wonder what it’s like to be there as an athlete. So I thought I’d share a little bit of that through my YouTube,” Forte said. “Inspiration also came from Warren Weir’s behind-the-scenes videos from London 2012.”

He said he hopes his subcribers and viewers will stay tuned or increase further, because he plans to bring more content like these during the World Championships scheduled for next year.

“The plan is still the same for the channel,” Forte said. “Still giving a closer look into my preparation leading up to next year’s World Championships.”

Sharla Williams