In the summer of 2024, Jamaica’s Roje Stona shattered the Olympic record in the Men’s Discus Throw with a mark of 70m.

He achieved this in the fourth round of throwing.

For Jamaica, a nation of less than three million people, Stona’s triumph was a defining moment — the country’s first-ever gold medal in the Men’s Discus throw at the Olympic Games.

“I was pretty much celebrating, trying to enjoy the moment,” Stona recalled, describing the euphoria of his victory. “I wasn’t thinking a lot of it; it didn’t really soak it in at the time. It took a while before I really realised what I did or what I had done.

“This victory, this gold medal, it has changed my life. I’ve been doing this sport for 10 years now. Winning a gold medal made everything completely different, especially having been recognised worldwide.

“It’s great because this is a turning point for track and field. We’ve been doing well in throwing but now that we’ve stapled our background and our foot into the world stage — we had men like Traves Smikle, Rajindra Campbell, and Fedrick Dacres — but now we’re looking at Jamaica as a throwing country,” Stona told the Sunday Observer.

Born on February 26, 1999, Stona’s journey to Olympic glory was far from conventional. Growing up, he faced numerous challenges, from limited resources to scepticism about his chosen sport. Yet, he persevered.

“I’ve been this since I was a junior,” he said. “I did it for a lot of reasons. One main reason was to make it to college. That was one driving force for me, and that was enough to get me to college.”

Stona’s passion for the discus throw took him to Rusea’s High School in Hanover where he won the Class Two boys’ discus at the Western Championships in 2014. He then attended St Jago High School in Spanish Town, Jamaica, before moving to the United States to pursue his athletic and academic dreams.

At Clemson University, Stona studied industrial engineering while continuing to hone his craft as a discus thrower. His performances earned him a spot at the University of Arkansas where he further refined his technique and prepared himself for the ultimate challenge — the Olympic Games.

Last April, Stona achieved the qualifying mark for the discus at the Paris Games, finishing second at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational with a personal best distance of 69.05m. He then won the discus throw at the LA Grand Prix in May with a throw of 66.93m. In July, he was officially selected for the Jamaican team to the Olympics.

As Stona looks to the future, he is poised to tackle new challenges, including a potential career in the National Football League (NFL).

Last May, he was invited to rookie camps by NFL teams Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. At 6’6” and 270 pounds, he did not play American football competitively at college. Last month, he was announced as joining the NFL’s International Player Pathway scheme.

When asked about his NFL aspirations, Stona remained optimistic.

“It [NFL tryouts] went well, I did well,” he said. “It was my first time stepping into the field of football. I gave it a try and I got some good feedback. So that was that, the interest from going to college and seeing the culture that was there. I pretty much fell for the game. I started watching the game a lot. Collegiately and nationally in the NFL, my interest just grew over the years.

“If I make a team this year, it would mean a lot. It definitely means that there’s no limit on what you can do or accomplish as a person is only the limits that you set.”

In recognition of his achievements, Stona was crowned the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation Sportsman of the Year 2024 on Friday.

“It is great to have this opportunity to represent the country and fellow athletes in my category,” he said. “I am happy to raise the flag in Paris and I knew that it was a big deal for everyone. I want to take this opportunity to thank all my mentors out there, coaches, friends, family members, the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation, and you, the Jamaicans. We have come a long way in sports and it’s great to be amongst a lot of legends, and I am hoping to be here again next year.”

STONA…this victory, this gold medal, it has changed my life (Photo: Naphtali Junior)