Dear Editor,
Last weekend a gifted 17-year-old female, Ms Teneisha Toney of Aishalton Village, South Rupununi achieved a remarkable feat. After much personal sacrifice and dedication Ms Toney attained personal milestones in both the academic field and sports.
Mere days after receiving her CXC results, where she gained ten subjects at CXC, including eight distinctions, Ms Toney took part in a national power-lifting competition and steamrolled all of her opponents to claim the title in her junior category as well as winning the senior category and becoming champion female weightlifter.
During this Amerindian Heritage Month, Ms Toney’s achievements and story of hard work, sacrifice and determination deserve to be highlighted. She is but one of many latent talents which exist in our hinterland and which, with proper opportunities, could be the future leaders of our country.
After completing her primary education at Aishalton Primary School, Ms Toney had to make the personal sacrifice of leaving her hometown and culture to travel to the city to commence her secondary education. For five years she fought homesickness, culture shock and multiple difficulties to pursue secondary education. Sometime during this period she developed a love for power-lifting and entered the sport. That she was able to combine her studies with her sport efficiently is no mean feat, and speaks volumes of the tenacity and dedication of this young woman.
The big question being asked is what’s next for Ms Toney? Are there opportunities for her to further both her studies and her sporting excellence? Are there any organisations out there that Ms Toney can approach to see if she can be granted a sports scholarship?
What the future holds for Ms Toney is uncertain. Certainly her academic future seems assured. How far she goes in her sport may all come down to what sort of support she receives from her sports association and the government. She has already done her part by putting in a performance worthy of further assistance.
Too many gifted young hinterland athletes, especially in the fields of swimming, middle distance athletics and football have fallen by the wayside for lack of tangible support from agencies and government. Please do not condemn Ms Toney’s athletic prowess to such a fate.
Finally, too much negative news is filling the columns and airwaves of our broadcasting industry. Our press corps are urged to keep digging for uplifting news of our country. Ms Toney’s story is but one of those which needs to be told in detail as a source of encouragement about what is possible with hard work and dedication.
President Granger’s words about the value of young people as the future of our country are indeed encouraging. It is now time to put those promises into action. Hopefully someone in authority will read about this remarkable young woman all the way from Aishalton village who defied the odds to be a winner in both academics and sports.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Abraham
