The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HAVING been a strong advocate for women’s sports and in particular basketball, former player and administrator Felicia Knowles is hoping to take that same type of tenacity on the court to the political arena.

The 51-year-old insurance executive has thrown her name in the hat to run for the governing party Free National Movement in the September 16 General Elections against incumbent Member of Parliament and Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis in the Cat Island, Rum Cay and Sal Salvador constituency.

“I’m an athlete first, so my expectation is to win,” Knowles said. “I’m in the halfcourt press right now. If you see me hard press up until I was 40, what was I? Good. What was I still? A champion. “I expect to win. I will leave my heart on the floor. After election day, I will pick it up. I’m going to give it my all and hopefully that would be good enough for me to [prevail in the General Elections as the new MP for Cat Island, San Salvador and Rum Cay.

As a Cat Islander, Knowles said she decided to go back home and give back to the community that helped to raise her and where her family roots are planted.

“For many years, I went back to Cat Island and about two years ago, I joined the Cat Island Regatta Association,” Knowles said. “In going to Cat Island, I never really took a look at it because most times I went there, it was in economic boost times like the Regattas.

“So I never had the opportunity to see it when the crowds weren’t there and everything wasn’t all hustling and bustling. I was asked to run, but I said I wasn’t a politician, but I was summonsed by the matriarchs of the family, who asked me to take a look at Cat Island.”

When she went, Knowles said she wasn’t pleased at all. But reluctantly, she agreed to accept the nomination to run. It wasn’t then that she visited San Salvador and was surprised that it was a little better than Cat Island. However she knew that Rum Cay needed just as much work as Cat Island.

“It didn’t go well with my soul,” she stated. “The only way I felt I could fix this was to run. In life’s journey, you always say I’m going to be a doctor or lawyer or something like that, but being a politician was never on my radar.

“But when I took a walk and I knew where my heart was because I’m as patriotic as anyone could be, I had a conversation with one of my family members and he told me the greatest service you can ever do for your country is to serve it in politics.”

Like she did when she played and served as an executive with the WNPBA, Knowles said her goal is to make Cat Island the jewel that it should be as a constituency in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

“Many are called, but few are chosen,” she lamented. “I think it’s best to put aside the one that was called and put in the one that was chosen.”