During her inaugural visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce shared a powerful message of regional unity and belief in local athletic talent.
Addressing the island nation of roughly 120,000 people, the Jamaican track star assured locals that their athletic breakthrough is on the horizon.
“All it takes is a dream. All it takes is belief and trusting that God will give you the plan,” she stated, noting that a country only needs one athlete to break through and open the floodgates for future generations, much like Merlene Ottey did to build a legacy for Jamaica.
Fraser-Pryce praised St. Vincent for its cleanliness and the warm, receptive nature of its people, contrasting it with the colder receptions she has experienced in other parts of the world.
Advocating for greater Caribbean collaboration, she noted, “If we unite we can do so much more… my dream for the Caribbean is to understand that we’re all one”.
The sprint legend also took time to recognize the island’s existing athletic talent, specifically shouting out Vincentian 800m runner Shafiqua Maloney, noting that the two athletes share a connection having trained at the exact same track at Jamaica College.
Fraser-Pryce firmly believes that whatever one nation achieves in the Caribbean ultimately benefits the entire region, urging the St. Vincent community to proudly rally behind their local athletes and youth
