Seventeen-year-old CARIFTA Games gold and bronze medalist Claudrice McKoy is embracing the name of her athletics club, Running Brave, as she is doing the same despite the many challenges life is throwing at her.
The middle-distance athlete is not alone in the race of life though as she seeks to not only better herself but also possibly gifting Guyana an Olympic medal.
As such, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has granted the young woman a scholarship to attend the University of Guyana should she achieve the basic requirements to attend the nation’s highest learning institution.
The ambitious McKoy is currently writing nine subjects at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Schools Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
She is, however, under severe hardship as she does not enjoy the benefits of electricity at her Tucville home where her mother squats and is forced to use the light from her cellphone to study.
Her mother, Carla Adams, is a single parent of five and a security guard by profession who struggles to maintain the home.
Above and beyond
Meanwhile, Director of Sports, Christopher Jones, after learning about the young woman’s challenges, suggested that the commission will go beyond delivering the scholarship and seek to improve the McKoy’s social well-being.
“Now essentially with all of the athletes, once they obtain the relevant passes to attend the University of Guyana, they can go ahead and make the applications to university and upon those applications being submitted, we will make the payments,” Jones said.
Touching specifically on improving McKoy’s social well-being, Jones indicated that his commission will do its best to ensure that one of Guyana’s possible Olympic stars will receive the necessary assistance needed to strive for athletic excellence.
“We intend to make contact with the Ministry of Social Protection because we recognize that there are young persons in the household. Her mother is also a single parent so that in itself will lend to financial assistance,” he noted, while also hinting at the possibility of further assisting in whatever way possible in getting the McKoy’s mother a house lot.
The young athlete, who also won the Caribbean Teachers Union championships three years ago, excels academically which, according to Jones, makes it even more important for her to be granted the scholarship.
A GIFT FROM GOD
To better understand her academic fortitude, Stabroek Sports, took the opportunity to visit McKoy’s current learning environment, Chase Academy, where her principal and subject teacher, Henry Chase heaped further praises of the young woman’s potential both in and out of the classroom.
“Claudrice [McKoy] is one out of a 1000 athlete that has the potential and a gift from God to run and she is intelligent,” Chase passionately professed.
He added that the young woman should gain grade ones in English A, English Literature, and Social Studies since he himself has been observing her academic abilities.
Chase, however, expressed concern about whether a scholarship to the University of Guyana will enhance her athletic abilities suggesting that the Government of Guyana should do everything within its ambit to provide McKoy with the opportunity to study and train outside of these shores to fully harness what she has to offer both on and off the track.
Stabroek Sports yesterday visited the National Park, where McKoy trains to seek out her coach, Julian Edmonds, who, to no surprise echoed the sentiments of the previous interviewees. She was described as pin-sized but possessing majestic strides which help the gold medalist.
Edmonds also told Stabroek Sports of McKoy’s possible admission to a number of colleges in the United States of America because of her stellar performance at the recent CARIFTA games. This was also confirmed by Chase who indicated that he assisted with the young woman’s applications.
“All in all, whatever she does and wherever she goes, the Government and civil society should take the opportunity in assisting this young woman’s brave race out of poverty as she strives for academic and athletic excellence.”
