Running Brave Athletic Club breeding champions

Says Emmerson Campbell

The Running Brave Athletic Club (RBAC) can safely be called a breeding ground for talent and champions.

Year after year, under the administrative leadership of Aubrey Hutson and Keith Campbell, the club continues to churn out standout track and field performers in the sprints and in the longer distances.

From pre teens to seasoned vets, the club is stacked with Guyana’s most top shelf athletes after forming just a decade ago.

The head coaching duo of Julian Edmonds and Sham Johnny each have a knack for spotting, harnessing and elevating talent.

Julian Edmonds
Julian Edmonds

Whether on the track, the pits or on the road, the RBAC athletes not named Winston George have been shining the brightest.

Their latest showcase of talent was at the ‘Smalta National Youth and Junior Championships’ which concluded last weekend at the National Track and Field Centre.

Of the 15 athletes that achieved the qualifying standard in their last test before the CARIFTA Games, about 10 of them are members or have been members of the club.

Sham Johnny
Sham Johnny

Avon Samuels (200m and 400m Girls U18), Claudrice McKoy (1500m and 3000m Girls U18). Samuel Lynch (400m and 800m Boys U 18), Natricia Hooper (Triple Jump and 400m Girls U 20), Jeremy Garette (800m and 1500m Boys U 18) and Matthew McKenzie (1500m and 5000m Boys U 20) are still under the coaching of Edmonds and Johnny. These athletes are highly regarded and are expected to return home with hardware following the Easter Weekend Games in St. George’s, Grenada.

Note: Rawle Green, Tai Payne, Lionel D’Andrade, Alisha Fortune, Cleveland Thomas, Stephan James, Jason Yaw, Andrea Foster, Winston Messengher, Jevina Straker, the Daniels twins (Shomane and Shaquan), the Hooper sisters (Natricia and Natrena), Andrea Foster, Kenisha Phillips (currently on the CARIFTA shortlist) and this writer are just some of the big names that have enjoyed success under the RBAC banner.

Kudos to Edmonds and Johnny for mentoring and positively impacting the lives of these athletes, many of which have been granted scholarships here and abroad.