Boldon to students: ‘keep options open’

FOUR-TIME Olympic  medallist Ato Boldon billed as  motivational speaker, yesterday urged students at Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive School to keep their options open. And Boldon’s talk was well received by the  gathering at  the school’s library, as he used examples from his life to paint mental pictures and direct the thoughts of his young audience. During his stay the sprinter told the students they should  keep their options open at this time in their life, recognise and develop their strengths, set goals and focus on their priorities paying  no mind to the negatives that would present themselves along the way.

This equation, in Boldon’s view would assure success in life as it had worked for him despite pitfalls along the way, coupled with an instruction to take their free education seriously and spend their time being constructive in preparation for the world outside of school. Boldon’s confident speech and willingness to have the students air their queries and concerns made all present comfortable and allowed them to embrace his advice more readily. Responding to questions about his performance during  the recent athletics season, Boldon said due to his serious accident in September last year, he sustained hip damage and was told he would be unable to run, which is why he considered  his 10.09 run at the World Games a personal victory.
Though he may be on a low Boldon was of the belief that he still had more and promised he would not disappoint at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

To this end the 30-year-old expressed confidence in the ability of Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic team inclusive of Darrel Brown, Kertson Manswell and Nicholas Bovell, who have shown their ability to represent this country well at the Olympiad. CARIFTA 1500 metre gold medallist and Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive student Carlan Arthur, came in for high praise from those gathered, for his achievements on the track for Trinidad and Tobago. But he expressed dissatisfaction at the treatment of middle distance runners by this country. Boldon assured him this attitude was almost global, in that most countries were looking for the “in  thing” but that he did not support such action as all country’s representatives should be treated with equal prestige.