Young Eagle Tamar Austin shows lion strength in brave performance
THE records will show that Tamar Austin of Excelsior High finished sixth in the girls’ javelin throw Open at the 2026 staging of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships on Thursday with a 32.69m effort, earning three points for “The Eagles”.
The record may also show that this was her fourth year competing at Champs and first time getting into the final eight.
However, what the records will not show are the obstacles she had to overcome to even get to the event.
Austin missed three weeks of preparation due to a serious illness that caused debilitating pain and which will need serious medical intervention in the near future.
Just to compete on Thursday, Austin needed a pain-killing injection 24 hours before — and the two-hour delay in starting the event did not help matters.
Even with a more than valid reason to watch from the sidelines and be a cheerleader for her teammates, sitting out Champs was never an option for Tamar.
She told the Jamaica Observer that,despite the challenges, it was important for her to show up for her teammates, who have always encouraged her to push beyond her limits.
“I did this for my team, not just for me, because my teammates were pushing me. So I did it for the team, not just for myself, but just to go out there and give my team [a] couple points to just keep in the top 10, which we are trying to maintain right now,” said the 18-year-old.
The event was won by Immaculate’s Zoelle Jamel, 45.09m, who finished ahead of Vere’s Ramona Freemantle, who also registered 45.09m, and Edwin Allen’s Angel Robinson, 43.67m.
Tamar dismissed any suggestion she has nothing to prove, saying, “I have a lion in me so I have to keep on pushing. And it doesn’t stop here, this this just a milestone that shows me that there is more to come and that I have more to produce in the future.”
For now, Tamar says she hopes to keep competing in the sport.
“If not, there’s other things that I can do, but for the main thing that I want to stay on is that I’m going to continue throwing the javelin and to perform to my best.”
