MAY I not false start and be disqualified, as for me, the highlight of the just-concluded 2015 World Championships was the golden run by a Jamaican woman who had a double mastectomy and was stricken with a thyroid inflammation at the time of the run.

My friend had just called from Washington to suggest that it was not wise to run Novlene Williams-Mills in the 4x400m relay since she may be a little weak from the flaring up of her thyroid. An inflamed thyroid can cause mild symptoms that may be cured easily, but an inflamed thyroid in someone diagnosed with cancer can be worrying.

I reflected back on the 2012 Olympics in London. None of us knew then that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. How could someone who was to lose both breasts in a few weeks put all the thoughts of womanhood, childbearing and the upcoming surgery behind her to compete? Many of us would have crumbled under the pressure; Novlene did not, she made it to the final and finished fourth.

We should have been taking note from then of the indomitable strength of this Jamaican treasure. As I sat back to watch Novlene in the 4x400m relay, post surgery and three years after the Olympics, I said a little prayer and was highly reflective, only to have my thoughts interrupted by a commentator declaring that on paper the USA women were almost impossible to beat. They had Sanya Richards-Ross whom they were touting as the 400m specialist, but she had not made the USA individual team, therefore, she was fresh and ready to give the USA women a blistering start. Allyson Felix, the third-leg runner, would be hard to beat, since she had just won the 400m final with the four Jamaican women in third, fourth, fifth and sixth places. Francena McCorory, they swore, would take it home on the anchor leg as she had won the USA national trials, and since she had defeated Allyson Felix in those trials, no Jamaican should be able to match her stride.

Christine Day gave the Jamaican women a wonderful start; Shericka Jackson continued the pace. Allyson Felix was determined on the third leg to make up the grounds lost by the American women and this she did in one of the fastest relay legs in history and the fastest 400m ever done by a woman at the World Championships. By this time the commentators were convinced that they had predicted the winner and the race was coming true to form.

Novlene had battled cancer and survived, therefore she thrived in one of the most epic 4x400m relays ever. For me it was biochemistry in motion and a tape that must be replayed over and over for young athletes to demonstrate stride transition and metabolic translation that maximise energy efficiency.

Her breathing was controlled and she knew she had to use up most of her energy in the last 30m, where it mattered most. Lactic acid will fatigue your muscles and shut you down if you overpower your muscle too early in a race.

The key to metabolic efficiency is slowly building up lactate by controlled breathing so you reach your threshold (highest point) at the end of the race when it does not matter. Controlled breathing pushes oxygen in your system and reduces lactic acid so it is flushed into a side pathway that makes your system and muscles less acidic.

Novlene is a cancer survivor; she had to understand her body to compete even when her body does not feel like competing. Novlene’s stride mechanism was marvelous. I saw increased striding, then greater stride length at the last 30 metres.

All our athletes are special from Usain Bolt, to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, to Javon Francis — all can be used to market Jamaica.

However, there is an Olympics in America call the cancer Olympics for cancer survivors. It is an event that attracts a lot of funds and makes millions, if not, billions of dollars. Could we bid to house it at the National Stadium with Novlene Williams-Mills as the patron? She has demonstrated that she can attract the attention of the world.

Editor’s Note: Dr Rachel Irving is the Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona.