Inside Aleen Bailey’s world
Most people call her “Ay’leen”, using “A” as in bay to pronounce her name. Her mother called her “A’leen”, with “A” as in cat. But she doesn’t mind. “People can say whatever they feel comfortable with,” she says. Her middle name is Mae.
Every Jamaican thinks they know Aleen. She was:
– the 100 and 200 metres champion at Girls Champs from 1993 to 1999.
– a Carifta Games Gold Medallist from 1997 to 1999.
– a National 100 and 200 metres Champion, 2001.
And everybody remembers where they were when Jamaica’s female 4 x 100 metres relay team raced their way to gold in Athens. Aleen ran the third leg of that race.
Her athletic prowess has been tested at the Penn Relays, the World Championships, the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia and the University of South Carolina.
Today the papers report that she is the number 2 female sprinter in the world, surpassed only by Veronica Campbell. Impressive for a 24-year-old, but not surprising.
Aleen is on a long list of distinguished Jamaican female athletes. No doubt she is accomplished, but what about Aleen the woman?
Background and Family
She grew up in Baccaswood, St Mary. Her family was far from rich, but they got by. She spent a lot of time with four of her brothers, playing football and cricket in the road. She remembers herself as being rather tomboyish.
Her mother, Maud and her older sister were affectionate. “They were very supportive and they looked out for me,” she says. Maud, an active member of the Pentecostal church, instilled biblical values in their family.
“We could play around, but on Sundays we had to go to church,” Aleen says seriously. Her father was not very attentive to her. She did however, have a supportive godfather. “He spoiled me,” she says fondly.
Everybody knows her half-brother, the dancehall recording artist, Capleton. “When I was going to Vere, I used to go and hang out with him in Papine,” she says.
“He just loves the whole idea that I am successful. He likes to hear it when people tell him about me.” It turns out that Capleton, famous for his fiery performances, is still the typical big brother. “We just hang out and talk. I get the lectures. I get the whole boyfriend lecture.
‘Be careful of this boy or that boy’,” she says trying to imitate Capleton. “I’ve lost boyfriends because of him. They are afraid of him. He is nice but he scares them off. He is fun though.”
Her athletic career started to take shape in primary school. “I was kind of rebellious in school. I loved attention and I tried all kinds of things to get it.”
But her teacher Miss Campbell, realising her inherent talent influenced her to get more involved in sports. Not that she needed much encouragement. “I saw Merlene Ottey on TV. I saw all the things she did and all the things she got and I wanted to be like her,” Aleen said. She loved soccer and tried to join the girl’s football team.
Knowing what we know about her so far, one expects to see a strapping, muscular woman – the stereotypical female athlete.
That’s not Aleen, though she is obviously fit. “My wardrobe has changed,” she says. “I’ve started to become girlie, started styling my hair. I used to just throw on a T-shirt and that’s it.”
She fondly remembers her years at Vere Technical High School. Her friends were a group of girls, which the boys nicknamed the “Get Rich vs Keep Cool Crew.”
It turns out that they were good influences on her. The “cool” members of the crew discussed positive things such as how to avoid getting into boy trouble. She preferred to talk about making money.
But it was all fun. That is, when she wasn’t training. She had to put in serious track time to excel at Champs and the Penn Relays.
She really got serious about athletics as a career at 17. She originally thought she wanted to be a doctor, but the appeal of athletics was greater. “I started to look at other people who made it and decided to do it too.”
Greece
“It was amazing,” she says of her team’s triumph at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. “It didn’t feel real. The team went out there and prayed.
The only team that was really in my mind was Russia. You can lose a race because of bad baton passes. Russia had perfect baton passes. But we were determined. Then Merlene Ottey came by.
Merlene made it easy for us to go out there. She encouraged us. Her being there was amazing. She is an amazing person once you get to know her. All of us on the 4 x 1 team idolise her.”
Most Satisfying Career Move
“Coming home and training with Glen Mills.”
Celebrity Status
Her celebrity status has not affected who she is. “I wouldn’t change who I am. What’s the point of that?”
Family Time
“I don’t get a lot of time to leave Town because of training, so I don’t get much time to spend with my mother and brothers.” Her father however, is now showing interest in her and they have a cordial relationship. He calls her whenever he hears a report that she is not well.
Mentors
“I have a new family,” she says of her mentor, Jimmy Josephs and his family. “They were supportive whenever I did good or bad. Having a non-relative to encourage you motivates you.”
Timothy Spencer was also a father figure. “He did not let me get away with anything. I started focusing on my school work.”
Sceptics and Naysayers
She never had people who didn’t encourage her. But she is annoyed by the attitude of some people. “When I’m doing well they are happy, and when I am not at my best they say I’m washed up.
They don’t understand that in track and field things won’t go your way all the time. But I know that whatever is supposed to be mine, will be mine.”
Giving Back
“I went to Haile Selassie Comprehensive High School to talk to the kids. They were so attentive. I told them that they shouldn’t let anybody tell them that they can’t get anywhere because of where they come from. I use myself as an example. It’s wonderful when you talk to them and see the effect on their faces.
“Somebody helped me to be where I am today, so that is why I do the things I do.” Starting in July, Aleen will help to promote Ting, a popular Jamaican soft drink.
Her photos will appear on the 10 and 20 ounce Ting label and on the 20 ounce label of Diet Ting. For three months 25c from the sale of every bottle of Ting bearing her picture will go towards her favourite charities, Addiction Alert and Vere Technical High School.
“If I can help an organisation that is focussed on preventing our young people from getting involved with drugs, I will do it. It’s a good thing to invest in. I don’t want to see people on the street doing drugs.”
“Vere Technical benefits from my involvement with Ting. We are giving back to the community to make sure that the young people know that people care.”
Future Plans
“I see myself representing Jamaica for a few more years. I want to get an individual medal at the Olympics or the World Championships.”
She also plans to get married and have children. Her ideal partner is the man who will give her space to accomplish her ambitions. He has to be down-to-earth, not frightened by celebrity and must love children.
She hinted that she may already have found him, but she is not naming any names.
In terms of her financial ambitions, her mentors are guiding her. “Mr Spencer is making sure that my money goes into something that will benefit me in the long run.” She is interested in real estate as an investment in the future.
For now she plans to return to the University of South Carolina to finish her degree in Sociology. “I’m interested in social work,” she says. “There are a lot of young females whose fathers have disappeared. Some have children without fathers. I want to start a programme to help them get their lives back on track. That’s where my sociology degree comes in.”
She plans to return to Jamaica to settle down. “No place like home,” she says. “But I would like to see Jamaica return to the days when people really cared about their neighbours. I remember people being more helpful to each other when I was growing up. People shared. Nobody went hungry if they didn’t have anything.”
“I also have an idea for a sports complex where, when it’s cold representatives from different sporting countries can come to Jamaica and train. I think this will bring money into the country.” She targets the year 2020 to make this idea a reality.
For Fun and Relaxation
“I sleep,” she quips. “I like to watch cartoons and talk on the phone. I go for manicures and pedicures when I get the chance. And I hang out with my friends.
“I don’t travel much except when I am going on athletic meets. I spend time training. I get a month off which I spend with my family.”
She is really fond of her mentor’s little daughter. “There is something about her that relaxes me,” she says. “When I need to get away, every stress I have just melts away when I am around her. Her smile just cheers me up.”
Sexual Harassment – Her Views
We asked if during her rise to athletic success she encountered sexual harassment here or overseas. She has never encountered it, but her advice to women who face this problem is to stand up for themselves.
“You have to stand your ground and let them know that you are not here for that. Talk to somebody about it. And if you can, if you are strong, you can beat them up.”
Serious advice from a strong young Jamaican woman. But that’s all you can have for now. Aleen is on the move. From the Observer she went back to training.
She will leave the island on Sunday to participate in the Grand Prix Gala Meet in Rome. From there she heads for Amsterdam where she will be living until the World Championships. God speed, Aleen!
