The Business of Sport International Conference, scheduled for May 2 and 3 at the Pegasus Hotel, in Kingston, Jamaica, will host Marion Jones in a plenary session entitled ‘Paradise Gained, Lost and Redeemed’ in which the former American sprinter will journey through the misfortune of lessons learned, which now form part of the curriculum from which she teaches.

Jones created and now runs a programme, ‘Take A Break’, to enable her to give back and counsel all people to live a better life and avoid mistakes and, importantly, costly ones. In the programme, Jones speaks tellingly to people of all ages, particularly the young, of the principles that inform her programme which are:

1. When faced with a decision which could have a major impact on your general, academic and athletic life, TAKE A BREAK.

2. Think about the potentially life-altering consequences of the decisions you make.

3. Seek advice and counsel from people you trust and love (friends, parents, teachers, mentors).

4. Then make a rational, informed and thoughtful decision.

Carole Beckford, president of the Business of Sport and well-known publicist, commented: “We can find in ‘Take A Break’ experiences which are common and instructive, particularly for young athletes, who are continually confronted by challenges in their quest ‘to walk good’ daily.”

The plenary session of the conference will be moderated by Milton Samuda, partner, Business of Sport and noted attorney-at-law, and no doubt will provide, in the question-and-answer session, tremendous insight into a sport which has claimed lives, but has also given new leases on life.

Why Marion Jones? Christopher Samuda, Business of Sport partner and attorney-at-law, stated: “The Business of Sport is all about education. Educating the mind, the intellect of the wisdom of fair play, the integrity and value of competition, the humility of success, atonement in lessons learned, and victory in the renaissance of the human spirit.”

The Business of Sport International Conference is hosted by Carole Beckford & Associates and Strategic Corporate Interventions Limited and is in its third year under the theme ‘Change the Game’.