Failure not an option for Manswell

KERTSON MANSWELL, recent recipient of the Humming Bird Medal (Silver) and silver medallist in the Pan Am Games is seeing gold in next year’s Athens Olympics. Manswell made his intentions known at a cocktail reception held to honour him and world rated sprinter Darryl Brown and other outstanding Tobago athletes at the Goodwood Secondary School on Friday night. It was learnt, at this function, that Brown also has Tobago connections since his mother, Marilyn Brown, is from Roxborough, east Tobago. Manswell, who professes to live by the motto “failure is not an option,” acknowledges that his job had only just begun since his dream was to compete and be successful in the 2004 Athens Games. 

“All the medals that I got before, to me are like nothing because my dream, leaving Tobago and going to Trinidad, is the 2004 Athens Games. Some may say that I’m cocky and I am boasting but I know what I am capable of and with God by my side, I know that all things are possible,” Manswell said. The Pembroke-born heavyweight fighter expressed his pleasure to be able to share his success with his supporters but disclosed that he was not contented with the silver medal he earned in  Santa Domingo at the Pan Am Games. “Everyone said ‘Hey you already got the silver medal just relax’ but they didn’t know that silver was not really what I wanted. I got up and I started fighting again. I just want to show you that even though you fall you can just dust off and go again,” Manswell said. Kertson also visited several primary schools on the island and made a courtesy call on Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary, Orville London at his office in Calder Hall, Scarborough.