Team captain Chadwick Campbell got into the blocks at the starting line at approximately 3:43 pm yesterday for the final of the 2019 Para Pan American Games T13 100m, a location with which he is familiar at international Games, having been there at the 2017 London World Para Athletics Championships.

The line-up was not what he wanted as there was not a full field, owing primarily to ineligibility arising from non-classification of athletes. However, Campbell remained focused in his first Para Pan American experience and it proved inspirational as he crossed the finish line as the silver medallist in 11.66 seconds.

The gold medal went to Brazilian Arnaldo DaSilva and the bronze to Honduran Elgin Castellanos.

Commenting after the race, the Jamaica team captain demonstrated leadership.

“You win some and you are humble in victory, and you lose some, but you are never defeated. You win a medal and celebrate and you come out without a medal, but you are still a winner. This is what the Paralympic spirit teaches you — humility and never say die. I am celebrating,” he said.

The Fitz Coleman protégé goes back into the athletic studio, where he hopes to record a “blockbuster” for the Dubai World Para Athletics Championships later this year in November.

Meanwhile, Para athlete Santana Campbell went into the circle on Sunday for the women’s F55 shot put, an event in which she has experience at the regional level.

It was a solid performance for Campbell, as she hurled the shot to a new personal best of 6.96m and in so doing established a new national record.

However, the competition was tough and at the end she placed sixth behind gold medallist, Mexican Rosa Guerrero, who registered 8.11m, silver medallist Maria Mardones of Chile at 7.67m, and American Sebastian Arellano Lopez at 7.63m, all of whom did their personal best.

“It was great and I am grateful for this opportunity to represent my country. It’s a feeling that you cannot possibly describe,” said Campbell, who now looks towards her pet event — the women’s F56 javelin —in which she is the regional record holder.

Shane Hudson was a study in concentration and determination in the men’s T46-47 400m on Sunday at the National Stadium of Lima, the venue for track and field.

A seasoned campaigner on the international stage with an array of medals from these regional Games and the Para World Athletics Championships, Hudson in the preliminary heats posted 51.01 after a slow start for third and had the punters’ predictions for the final in a spin.

The final came in the evening and he was not able to come into the medal frame where he is accustomed to being as he placed sixth in 51.17. However, two athletes who had placed ahead of Hudson were disqualified and the Jamaican was elevated to fourth position, barely missing out on a medal.

He now turns his attention to IPC’s World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai in November, where he is the 2017 London silver medallist in the event.