Olympian Sanjay Ayre, through his non-profit Premier Health Foundation, visited several communities across western Jamaica that were affected by Hurricane Melissa and delivered much-needed supplies.

He donated to St Elizabeth Technical High School in Santa Cruz; several communities and shelters in Whitehouse, Westmoreland; and two shelters at Petersfield Primary School and Lighthouse Church.

Ayre, 45, represented Jamaica in the 400m, won the World Indoor gold on the 4x4m team, and silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, running in the heats of the 4x400m relays, says he watched in horror as Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, leaving behind a trail of destruction that is hard to describe.

“As a Jamaican, and as someone who has had the honour of representing this country on the world stage, I could not sit and watch from a distance,” Ayre told the Jamaica Observer. “Homes washed away. Farms flattened. Power lines snapped. Entire communities are suddenly cut off from the world. I felt it in my spirit, we have to move. This is why Premier Health Foundation stepped forward.”

Ayre and his foundation donated food packages, multipurpose storm radios, Starlink devices, care packages, and equipment.

“When I first started seeing images and hearing reports, I wasn’t thinking like an athlete or a public figure, I was thinking like a Jamaican son,” he said. “I saw not just flooded streets, but the faces of people who could have been my family members, my classmates, my neighbours.

“I thought about the children who went to bed to the sound of heavy winds and woke up to find their homes destroyed. I thought about the elderly who depend on others for basic support, now stranded with no electricity, no communication, and little access to food or medicine.

Ayre expressed immense gratitude to the Jamaica Constabulary Force for what he says was their exemplary service and steadfast commitment, noting that they volunteered their time and resources to ensure the safety of his team.

“This act of unity truly shows the collective effort required to rebuild and uplift Jamaica, one community at a time,” he said. “Special thanks to Sergeant Reid and his team from the St Elizabeth Western Division, who provided police escort from Gutters, St Elizabeth, to the Westmoreland border.”

Ayre also had special mention for the team of four police officers from the Whitehouse Police Command Centre, which gave them a tour of devastated mountain communities in Whitehouse and Petersfield and Detective Sergeant Simpson from the Elletson Road Central Investigation Bureau.

Ayre says his effort was ably assisted by an incredible team that led the way with such commitment and professionalism, along with dancehall veterans Goofy and Pinchers and all the people that donated to the cause.

“One of the most powerful moments for me during this relief effort was visiting St Elizabeth Technical High School,” Ayre said. “Walking onto that campus, I could feel both the weight of what had happened and the strength of the people standing in front of me. Some student-athletes had lost parts of their homes.

“As we moved from community to community handing out supplies, listening to stories, and simply being present, I was reminded that sometimes the greatest gift you can give is not just material support, but the assurance that you are not forgotten.

“This island is where my journey began. It’s where I grew up, where I trained, where I learnt discipline, sacrifice, and resilience. When I stepped onto the track wearing the Jamaican colours, I wasn’t just running for myself — I was running for the people who believed in me, the coaches who pushed me, the schools that let me train, and the communities that cheered every time my name was called.”