There is something inside Jamaicans that cause us to overcome hardship and succeed in the most unlikely ways, particularly in sports.

Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian knows all to well about that fact, and so to mark International Women’s Day, the American-born Jamaican bobsledder volunteered her time to remind the young ladies at Iona High School in St Mary of how her stubborn determination propelled her to fulfilling her sporting goals.

One could sense the excitement in Fenlator-Victorian’s tone and body language, whose visit to the school was accommodated by Sandals Foundation.

She imparted to the teens — aspiring athletes in particular — not to allow gender bias and, by extension, naysayers to dissuade them from pursuing their dreams.

“As Jamaican women, we have a rich deep history of courageousness, boldness, fire, and success that have lead to us achieving some of the most astonishing things here on the island, and even across the world.

“It is with that in mind that I urge all of you to dive into the women before you, tap into those roots, and take charge. Make your own way and, in so doing, you will pave the way for others to come,” Fenlator-Victorian said.

To support her point on how sports can significantly impact one’s life, the three-time Olympian shared some statistics about women who after parading their skills on the field of play, are currently charting the course off it.

“While only six per cent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, the proportion of women CEOs who were athletes is approximately 90 per cent.

“Sport has so many lessons, more often ones unrelated to actual performance but rather life itself. Guiding you to collaborate, evolve, and adapt towards becoming your best self and achieving your wildest dreams,” Fenlator-Victorian shared.

She continued: “You may not realise it now, but the link between sports and achieving your goals is actually related.

“Participating in sports breaks down some of life’s skill sets and lessons in a competitive setting, such as developing leadership, whether that’s being the team captain, making decisions or managing a group of executives; overcoming adversity, as well as building a brand and networking, among others.”

Fenlator-Victorian, who first represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics, later joined former sprinter Carrie Russell in creating history by being the first Jamaican or Caribbean women to compete at a Winter Olympic Games in 2018, two years after switching allegiance to the black, green and gold.

The 36-year-old, whose Jamaican roots lies with her father, stressed that sports opened the door for her in representation and diversity, as travelling and diving into different cultures assisted in her growth to becoming her best self.

“Sports opens pathways to not just create history but showcase that the impossible is very much possible,” she declared.

“By seeing your fellow country woman or even just athletes that look like you, resonate with you, and your circumstances in some way can inspire and motivate the masses to go beyond and continue to pursue their own feat.

“Just remember that you and you alone are in control of your destiny. Don’t allow other people’s opinions, projections or judgements to deter you from stepping into your best self and shining bright,” Fenlator-Victorian ended.