The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN Olympic athlete Chris “Fireman” Brown said that his transition to being appointed sports ambassador has been a blessing and an honour.

“The transition has been pretty smooth,” he said while in Grand Bahama serving in his official capacity for the first time at the recent NACAC Championships in Freeport.

“The experience has been amazing, and I am just blessed and honoured, and I am grateful for it,” Brown said.

As one of the most decorated Bahamian track athletes who has won gold at the Olympics and World Championships, Brown says he is not quite ready to retire from the track.

“The transition has been nice, but I am not ready to hang up my spikes yet, the quarter-miler said. I am looking to make one more splash, hopefully, next year and then I can make my announcement. If it does not work out, I will make it sooner.”

“But being able to wear the cap of lead organiser, athlete, spectator, and now as an ambassador, is truly a blessing. I don’t think I know anybody who has worn the hats of so many. Being able to transition in all those different hats have been a blessing for me, and I will continue to do the good work the Lord set for me. Without Him, none of that would have been possible. So, I am blessed and honoured for it.”

As sports ambassador, Brown’s role off the field is to ensure that athletes are comfortable and to hear any concerns they may have.

He is also there to observe, take notes and to provide feedback to ensure that future events are better for the athletes.

“At the end of the day… we are here to make the sport better, but again we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do. We got to make sure all the right things are in place going forward for the future so that we won’t repeat the same mistakes again.”

Brown feels that adjustments can be made in every area. “It could be better from the welcoming at the airport to making sure everybody is comfortable sleeping at night, just the overall experience. You want to have an overall experience where persons will want to come back and keep coming back, and that they had a great experience. That’s what we are going to focus on. So, running is one thing, but the overall experience is another,” he explained.

Ambassador Brown felt that the decision to host NACAC in Grand Bahama was the right decision.

“It is great for the economy and the people,” he said. “I think that with more events like this, spreading it throughout the Bahamas I think is a good way for athletes and persons to know we have more than one venue that can host a major championship, and the future is bright,” he stated.

When asked why not Nassau, Brown said that Nassau will host the CARIFTA Games next year.

“We got to spread it out, we have to learn how to share and be able to support each other. At the end of the day once every island is up and running, we don’t intend to keep everything in one place, we intend to spread it out.”

“And I think this is a good way of showing how we can host not just in one island or one city, but we can do different events in different places,…and this just shows the potential that GB has to continue to grow and build to able to host a major championship and accommodate everybody.”

According to Brown, Grand Bahama is now in the history books because several records were broken at the NACAC event in Freeport.

“To be able to see several records fall on the first day of competition is a huge accomplishment,” he recalled. “Those athletes will remember that forever, that their best time was run in the Bahamas, and that they set NACAC records in the Bahamas that would forever be down in history and so that sets a good presence to let everyone know it is not just Nassau, that it was done in Freeport,” he said.

Highlighting his journey in track and field, Brown talked about the lows and highs of his career.

A low point for him was at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, he said. “I was pushing for that gold medal, he said. I also lost the bronze in 2008 by a dive and that was a low point. There were so many low points, but I would say those two were the lowest,” he added.

A high point for Brown, he said, was in 2012 when he and his teammates got on the podium.

“When I got on the podium for 400m at the Olympics, it was the high of my career. It was a tough race and I was going through a lot at the time and to be able to get the victory and get on the podium as number one was the high point,” he noted.

Asked whether he had any regrets looking back on his career, without any hesitation Brown said that he has “no regrets at all.”

“Every competition I competed in I always got a lesson from it. And always hope and pray that whatever lesson it was, that the next generation coming behind would take note of that. So, no regrets from the start to end of my career. If I had to do it all over again, I would go right back and do it all over again because it was meant to be at the end of the day.

“What happened to me on those days, whether it was to inspire someone, whether it was to teach me a lifelong lesson, it was all apart of the journey and I just had to fulfill the journey, with the highs and lows to show that you are not going to win them all. You win some and you lose some. You learn how to bounce back and brush yourself off and get back up and do it all over again. Even when you win, you brush off and you got to come back and do it all over again.”

Brown said he learned lots of lessons, including how to be humble.

“I also learned how to accept defeat and so once athletes learn how to do that they would understand that it is bigger than just winning and losing. They would understand that the lesson and what you learn is what carries you through life’s journey.”

When asked who is his toughest competitor, Brown modestly said: “I would say that would be me. I am my toughest competitor. I don’t compete against the field, I compete against myself and I want to improve every time I get on the track with my performances, my standards, and being a better individual overall.

“I always humble myself and hold myself accountable.

“I challenge myself every single day to be better and improve and see how I can represent the Commonwealth of Bahamas and the people of The Bahamas and be that example.

“For me, I always use myself as that vessel and the example. And if I don’t set the standards for myself, how can I expect someone else to set the standards? So, I just try to live by it and make sure the next generation has seen leadership that reflect results.”

Brown said he loves coaching as well. “I love my athletes, and I am just an athlete,” he said.

Bahamians can also expect the return of the Chris Brown Invitational.

“I hope it comes back bigger and better than it was before,” he said.

“I am excited about it. The same way I give A-class performance on the track, I intend to do the same thing. I look forward to making a big announcement and executing one of the perfect events in the region, if not the world. I am excited for what the future holds and brings and God has been continuing to bless and use me,” he said.