St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) principal, Keith Wellington is backing former STETHS star athlete-turned-Olympic quarter-miler Junelle Bromfield to overcome the “noise” of detractors and continue towards fulfilling her full potential in athletics.

“Junelle we know you’re a warrior, we know you’re a fighter, we know that nothing has come easy for you in life and we know that whatever you have, you have earned and you will continue to work hard for it irrespective of what critics may say because deep down I know that you know that you deserve what you earn,” Wellington told Observer Online in an interview on Friday,

Bromfield has been the target of vicious social media attacks from Jamaican track fans over the last couple weeks following an interview in which her boyfriend, American sprint star Noah Lyles, revealed that he had gained insights about happenings within Jamaica’s track and field camps from his girlfriend.

The Jamaican 400m runner said earlier this week that she has received a flood of hate messages in her inbox with many of them disparaging her dark complexion.

“For all the [Jamaicans] in my inbox coming for my complexion…Calling me black is not [an] insult. This black is gold!!” Bromfield posted to her Instagram stories.

Olympic quarter-miler Junelle Bromfield (Photo: Napthali Junior)

But Bromfield’s former principal is encouraging her to ignore the “noise in the market” which he said is being fueled by ignorance.

“Many persons will comment when you’re in the public light, comment about you without necessarily having the whole story. They will see flashes of information and make comments and even make decisions. They will draw conclusions based on the little they know,” Wellington said, adding “It is what we call noise in the market, it doesn’t dictate what is being sold. You just have to ignore the noise and focus on what is ahead of you.”

An outstanding athlete at the youth level, Bromfield was a many times winner at the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships. In 2016, she claimed gold in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m individual events, and returned to anchor the STETHS 4X400m relay team to gold.

She also represented the country at a number of international meets and won a bronze medal in the 400m at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz.

Bromfield’s transition to the senior level has not been smooth, but her career has seen a resurgence recently and she will be competing in an individual event for the first time at the Paris Olympics after finishing third in the 400m at the National Championships.

Wellington, who is also president of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association, hailed Bromfield’s resilience throughout her career.

“I think she initially started out wanting to be a sprinter and a long jumper, because she did well in those events at primary school. Eventually she transitioned at STETHS into more of a quarter miler, 800m runner. We always thought she did well representing Jamaica as a junior. She was somebody who worked hard… and never shied away from hard work,” Wellington said.

He added: “I know that the odds of transitioning from a junior to a senior is extremely slim. So, persons have to be patient to understand that you don’t move from being an 18-year-old or 17-year-old competing only against persons your age group, to being a 20, 21-year-old who has to compete with everybody in the world and succeed right away. You have to be patient, you have to pay your dues. And I think that Junelle has those qualities of patience.”