BUOYED by her accomplishments on the track and driven by her benevolence off it, several of Jamaica’s most promising student athletes have expressed their gratitude to sprinting icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for her constant inspiration and tangible support.

Fuelled by the assistance she received from past student Jeanne Coke while a student at Wolmer’s Trust Girls School, Fraser-Pryce, the five-time World champion in the 100m and one of the most successful athletes of all time, has been providing scholarships to high-performing student athletes across Jamaica through her Pocket Rocket Foundation.

Over 50 students from 11 disciplines and approximately 20 schools have benefitted from the scholarship to date.

Gianna Lewis, a table tennis player at Wolmer’s who received her scholarship in 2018, said that the support made a big impact on her life, adding that she has followed Fraser-Pryce’s career and remains motivated by the link created by the scholarship.

“It definitely meant a lot getting that support from Mrs Fraser-Pryce. I just felt that I became more confident in playing table tennis, knowing that I wouldn’t have to give it up in high school, and that gave me the extra boost I needed to continue playing because I really enjoyed it,” Lewis told the Jamaica Observer.

“Learning more about Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce over the years and seeing her accomplishments, even before I got the scholarship, has always been inspiring to me because she also graduated from Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls. She has just really taught me that truly going after what you want and training for it, meeting and even exceeding the expectations of the people around us, is important and it costs a lot but you just have to work hard for it,” continued Lewis.

Her sentiments were shared by Omarion Davis from Jamaica College, one of five recipients in 2017.

“It was a really great feeling to get that support because I never had the financial capability to pay for school fees and stuff like that, so getting the assistance from the foundation helped a lot with that,” said Davis, who is heading to upper sixth form at JC.

“Getting the support from her told me that I am a really special person, that I am not just a regular athlete or person. Receiving the scholarship from her motivated me to push hard and continue in the sport,” added Davis, who competes in track and field. “When I look at her journey and successes the message is simple really — trust the process, trust the coach always, no matter what.”

Basketball player Daniel Isaacs received his scholarship during the 2016-2017 academic year while studying at Campion College.

Isaacs, who later moved to La Lumiere School in the United States where he graduated as the valedictorian and was the head prefect, says he too was motivated by the scholarship to do well.

“Well it was very good, excellent really, to receive that support and it was definitely very motivational. I mean, a calibre athlete like her, to actually meet her and talk to her, it inspires me to actually even want to further my basketball career,” Isaacs shared.

“It’s just a reminder that it doesn’t really matter too much where you come from, but as long as you put in the hard work — and even from a small place like Jamaica — it is definitely possible to make it,” he added.

Swimmer and black belt in martial arts Julianna Medeiros, a 2018 Wolmer’s Girls’ scholarship beneficiary, said: “I am eternally grateful to the Pocket Rocket Foundation and to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for all that this scholarship has awarded me.”

Fraser-Pryce ended the Eugene 2022 World Athletics Championships with a gold medal in the 100m and silver medals in the 200m and the 4x100m.

— Andre Lowe