๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐จ๐ฝ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐
I was born in the rural parish of St Andrew in Barbados as the last of 13 children. I first saw badminton when I was 11 during a PE lesson in secondary school.
When I first saw the courts I wondered what sport it was. It seemed quite easy and interesting to play, unlike some of the other sports that were introduced to me. The games master realised my potential and introduced me to the teacher who was responsible for coaching badminton. He taught me the basics of the sport and he created the path for me to the junior national programme.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ป
My passion for badminton grew even greater when I represented Barbados at the regional championships (CAREBACO) in 1985 in Guyana at the age of 14 and continued on to the seniors. I loved the sport so much that I did a coaching course while in my first year at the senior level. I completed my competitive stage at 35. I decided to then focus on coaching at the beginners stage.
๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐
My most memorable events were the regional championships and Pan Am Games where I received numerous medals. My most rewarding memory was winning gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in Guatemala in 1993 with my partner Argyle Maynard. Even today it stays in my mind. Playing badminton, I made lots of friends of all walks of life to whom I can reach out for guidance about badminton, whether for coaching advice or just a friendly conversation.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐
Because of badminton I secured a coaching job at the National Sports Council (NSC) which allows me to teach badminton at primary and secondary schools across the island of Barbados. Itโs also rewarding for me to work with the junior developmental programme and national junior squad and my club junior programme.
๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐
I was able to take people from the grassroots level to national representation. I also helped in changing the lives of many, which allowed them to see the world through the sport of badminton and raise their self-esteem.
๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ต๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ
Shuttle Time has broadened the awareness of PE teachers who can now introduce badminton in their day-to-day PE classes which helps in developing the sport at the grassroots level.
