THE death of three prominent members of the school community in a little over four months has hit them hard, but members of Calabar High School's track team say the losses have motivated them to do even better and win the 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' & Girls' Athletic Championships, which begin today at the National Stadium.

The Calabar school fraternity woke up to the news last Saturday morning that Acting Principal Jennifer Gordon had collapsed and died at home the night before.
Gordon had been acting in place of principal Lincoln Thaxter since last September, but had been a teacher at the school for nearly 30 years.

Members of the Calabar Class Two 4x150m relay team after competing at a meet earlier this season.

The news of Gordon's death came within months of the death of football team coach David Hunt, who collapsed and died in his bathroom on Friday, October 26, and that exactly one month later of former school track team coach, Jamaican Olympic legend Herb McKenley on November 26.

"I couldn't believe it. I heard about it on Saturday morning when I was coming to training and the first time my friends told me I was saying they were joking or they were lying," Antoine Chung, an 18-year-old middle distance runner, who was among a small group of track team members gathered at the Stadium East for training Monday, told the Observer.

"I didn't come to training because I couldn't believe it. I was looking forward to when I leave school to go back to her because she helped me out a lot even to get summer jobs," he stated.

Ravian Robinson, a Class Two 400m and 800m runner, said he was also taken aback by the news: "When we heard we were kind of stunned. silent, but I don't think it's going to affect our training, it's just going to motivate us to do more and put in more effort and heart into training to win this Champs... I think her passing is sad and we're definitely going to win it for her," he said.

Assistant coach Kevin Pryce, who was recruited by McKenley in 1997, said the team had offered prayers on Saturday before training and said the period was one which would likely inspire the boys to do well this week.

"The Calabar family has been losing people who are close to us so it's really a dramatic year for us, but I think the boys will use it as a form of motivation to rise to the Championships this year."

Meanwhile, head coach Michael Clarke, who last year led Calabar to their first Boys' Champs victory since the coaching days of McKenley ended in 1997, said there was a bit of mild shock when the news hit, but that he had seen no signs of trauma among team members.

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