WHETHER it is the cool hills of Sherwood Content in Trelawny or the urban gardens of Waterhouse in St Andrew, there is no telling where the next track and field star may be born.

That is why telecommunications leader, Digicel on Wednesday, October 30, affirmed their support for Jamaican athletics by surprising twenty members of the Morant Bay High School track team with brand new first-rate running shoes from PUMA.

Popping up unexpectedly at the St Thomas school, Digicel arrived in the middle of an exciting inter-form track and field competition, where some of the schools superstars (some of them barefooted) bolted down a track to cheers and much fanfare from their schoolmates and teachers.

Senior communications manager at Digicel, Shelly-Ann Harris, shared the motivation behind the gesture: “Digicel is committed to Jamaican athletics and we want to continue to unearth and help to cultivate the talent from early. Having gone against the odds to become one of the best in the east, we thought Morant Bay High School would be a good place to continue our support for young talent,” she said.

She added that Digicel aims to inspire the next generation of athletes in Jamaica by showing them the possibilities available. “We hope that our gift to these young athletes will be a catalyst for the next Usain or Shelly-Ann to see the possibilities that are there and inspire them to work hard to make their dreams come true.”

The students wasted no time trying on the shoes and testing them out on the field, much to the delight of their schoolmates and friends. Overcome with gratitude, team manager Orett McDowell explained how much the gift meant to the team. “Having Digicel come here to give our team these shoes was just tremendous because the students are in need. In addition to that, the school simply cannot afford it.

“In fact, after seeing the shoes, many more students have come up to us wanting to join the team because although many of them don’t have the necessary gears, they now see where anything is possible,” McDowell said.

The Morant Bay High School has won the Eastern Secondary Schools’ Sports Association Track and Field Championships several times and is home to track and field stalwart Juliet Cuthbert, who has won gold, silver and bronze medals in both the Olympic and World Championship arenas.