BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – NEWS reaching this media house states that the St. Kitts-Nevis Olympic squad had made Friday (July 20) one of the happiest days in the life of an England-based Kittitian amidst memories of the passing of her father.
According to Malcolm Wallace, Head Coach of the Haitian Paralympic team, St. Kitts-born Manager of Watford Council, Michelle Carty got a wonderful surprise on Friday when she met and interacted with Kim Collins and other members of the St. Kitts-Nevis Olympic team at their training camp.
Wallace explained that on hearing the Federation’s team was in Watford, a City and Borough located in Hertfordshire, England, Watford Council’s Customer Service Advisor Tracy Clarke thought it a fitting opportunity to arrange a meeting with the team and her manager.
She therefore sought the assistance of Wallace and he had organised two-signed photographs of “the most famous person to come out of St. Kitts and Nevis, former World 100m Champion Kim Collins”.
On meeting Collins and other members of the team, Carty donned the top of one of the local athletes’ track suit and, she along with Clarke stood on “either side of the up and coming sprint star Tameka Williams, with the rest of the team gathered around for a commemorative photograph”.
Clarke said that the meeting was a very memorable one for the Kittitian.
“July is the anniversary of Michelle’s father’s passing and meeting the team and especially Kim has made her so happy. She is walking around the office with a great big smile on her face.”
The meeting was held at the Woodside Stadium, the home of Watford Harrers Athletics Club. It is one of the country’s leading athletics stadiums and is a fully certified UKA arena designed and fully fitted for use by both able-bodied and athletes with disability.
In his brief account of Collins’ achievements in the athletic arena, Wallace said, “For many of us, Kim Collins is known as a good sprinter having won the Paris World Championships in 2003 with a best of 9.98. However, Kim’s star status is equal to that of Usain Bolt in his own country.
“This will be Kim’s fifth Olympics and back home he has been given many honours, including having his portrait on a postage stamp and having August 25th declared Kim Collins Day by the government of St. Kitts and Nevis in honour of his world championship title.
The Summer Olympic Games 2012 will be held in London from July 27 to August 12 and Team St. Kitts-Nevis is currently accommodated at Hertfordshire. The team is scheduled to soon move into the Olympic Village, where hopes are high that many of the local athletes would stand on the podium.
