Dushawn Daley, a determined athlete from Cumberland High School, is gearing up to make his mark at the upcoming ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships. As the lone representative from his school, he is confident that he can bring pride to himself and his community.

Champs, as it is popular known, will be held from March 24 to 28, 2026, at the National Stadium.

“I am the only one from my school that is going to be competing at Champs this year,” Daley said.

“I am quite confident in myself to do well and my school, my club, and my family is there with me. I feel like I can do something at Champs for myself and my school,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Daley will be competing in the 100m, 200m, and javelin events, the latter being a new challenge for him. Despite being unfamiliar with the discipline, he is feeling positive about his training, thanks to the guidance of his coach, Morris Edwards.

“Training has been going good for me. My coach is pushing me to do what I can do at Champs,” Daley said.

The support from his school, club, and family has been overwhelming, and Daley is determined to make the most of it.

“The energy, the spirit, and the support I got from my school are very overwhelming. It is kind of rough doing CXCs and having to go to school from Kingston to Portmore but I am quite okay with it,” he stated.

Daley’s journey has not been without its challenges. He has had to overcome a hamstring injury that affected his performance at Central Champs, but he is now healthy and focused on achieving success.

“My performance at Central Champs wasn’t what I really expected because I pulled hamstring but at Champs, I feel like I can do something there. I am in good nick at the moment. My Racers Club coach Mr Dawson worked on my foot for me and right now I am very healthy,” explained Daley.

Daley’s resilience and determination are evident in his words: “Right now, I am mentally ready for Champs. I am always ready, from my mother and brother were here I have always been ready but because of certain circumstances it was kind of a downfall as I lost both of them, but I am ready now. This will be my first time competing at Champs and everything is going well so far.”

Daley said that he has used his past traumas as motivation to push forward.

“Right now I am quite happy because I have to use those traumas and those setbacks as motivation for me to pursue what I want. Most people would have just stopped but for me, I am a fighter. I chose not to stop, I chose to just go forward,” he said.

Daley is also focused on his academic pursuits, currently taking four subjects in Grade 11, with the aim of securing a scholarship to further his education.

“Subject-wise I am doing good. Last year in 10th grade I got a grade three in agricultural science. Now I am doing four subjects in 11th grade, aiming for five so that I can get a scholarship to go to one of the colleges out here or overseas,” he said.

His interests lie in mechanical engineering and massage therapy, and he is working hard to make his dreams a reality.

“I want to become a mechanical engineer or a masseur,” he said.

Daley’s stepfather, Kinsley Elliott, said that his heart fills with joy as he watches his son prepare for Champs. Despite being partially blind, Elliott has always had a special understanding of his son’s abilities.

“From the beginning I knew that he would be here. If we were to go anywhere, he would just leave me and his mother behind because he would be running or walking fast and we couldn’t keep up to his pace,” Elliott said.

Elliott said he has always encouraged Daley to pursue his passion for sports, and his son has not disappointed.

“He can also play football very well and I said to him one day, which one of the sports he would rather and he told me that he is working towards going to Champs and I told him that I wish him all the best,” he noted.

“I have a lot of confidence in him to do good at Champs. I told him to believe in God and everything will work out. I am fully behind him in this,” Elliott added.