The Tribune

CINDY Miller has won the opportunity to have her portrait drawn by Jamaal Rolle, the Celebrity Artist, in The Tribune’s Sporting Legends competition.

Her selfie with the image of her favourite star on the the newly-opened Sports Legends Walk at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre and description of why she chose Ramon Miller, one of the “Golden Knights” 4 x 400 metres relay team, was judged to be the best entry.

Mrs Miller, 28, went for the Bahamian Olympic gold medal winner, not because he was one of the youngest athletes portrayed on the Legends Walk “but for what a great impact he did on that anchor leg in the 2012 London Olympics Games”.

“Yes, it took three great and magnificent legs to get to that point. But it was his aggressiveness alone. After that race the whole Bahamaland wanted to be like Ramon Miller, saying ‘I wanna be like Mike’. Ramon Miller did such a great thing; he could have given up or just kept his pace but only one thing was on his mind - getting that gold for him and his teammates and especially for the Bahamas,” she wrote.

He also caught Mrs Miller’s eye for another reason – she is his wife of one year, so there was only one icon she could choose to pose in front of for her selfie. The couple met at C R Walker Senior High School ten years ago when they were members of the track team and now have a four-year-old daughter.

Mr Rolle, whose portraits of Bahamian icons and international figures are earning rave reviews, was commissioned to produce 28 images of sports stars for the attraction, which opened last month. He was also commissioned to portray 42 Bahamian icons to mark the anniverary of independence this year.

Tribune competition entrants were asked to visit the Sports Legends Walk, take a “selfie” with the portrait of their favourite Bahamian sporting legend and send an explanation of no more than 50 words as to what inspired them to choose that star. The best combination of selfie and explanation in the opinion of The Tribune and Jamaal Rolle was judged the winner of this valuable prize.

Runner-up was David Cates, who selected Sir Durward Knowles, the first Bahamian to win an Olympic gold medal when he won the Star sailing class with Cecil Cooke in Tokyo in 1964. “Lifelong resident, prominent citizen and businessman, family man, known for his good example and philanthropy, whose commitment to the betterment of The Bahamas transcends politics,” Mr Cates wrote. “He is a devout member of Ebenezer Methodist Church and a proponent of One Bahamas. He is truly a Bahamian hero and icon.”