MIDDLESBROUGH, United Kingdom — Dudley ‘Tal’ Stokes, captain of the original Jamaican Bobsleigh Winter Olympics team, has high hopes to set up a base in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom to work with Jamaica Bobsleigh athletes based in Great Britain.

The base will also encourage fitness routines within communities, businesses, and schools.

According to a Teesside Live report, Stokes has the backing of Middlesbrough-born Jo Manning, who coached with Stokes on the historic 2018 Jamaica Bobsleigh Team, the first time a female team from Jamaica qualified for the Olympic Games.

With the backing of Manning, the Jamaican native says he is looking forward to helping prospective athletes.

“I regularly stay with former world bobsleigh champion Nicola Minichiello and her partner and fellow bobsleigh coach, Jo. I work with them extremely well, and we have come up with an idea to support aspiring athletes, and people who are looking to take that next big step into the world of athletics,” he shared. “There are many outreach programs in the Teesside (Middlesbrough) area doing very good work getting people moving, we hope we can add to this.”

He continued: “The upside (to the training camp) is tremendous, improved health outcomes and a lessening of the burden on health services will only make the Teesside area more competitive within the UK and worldwide.”

“Middlesbrough and all around Teesside is a great area with great people whom I know if they can get the opportunity, will excel. We are trying to give them another way forward, there cannot be too many ways.”

Stokes is now in Middlesbrough working to implement the camp.