The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

WHEN Holland Martin stood on the medal podium sporting his Bahamian flag and singing the national anthem with pride, he wasn't only thinking about making his country proud. He was also thinking about his hometown - Fresh Creek, Central Andros. He knew what a privilege it was to be able to travel the world and represent his country, especially when scores of talented youngsters growing up all across the Family Islands never get the chance.

Recently, Holland decided to do something about it. He knows that if more people invest in young Bahamians, then more prodigies and super-talented young people would rise up and become successful.

Holland is a professional athlete in track and field, specialising in the long jump and the triple jump. He has numerous accolades and the list is growing. He is a national champion, and is a four-time CARIFTA team member.

He holds gold medals including the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) triple jump indoor and outdoor gold medals. He also claimed the silver in the long jump from the NJCAA. Holland is a four-time NJCAA All-American star athlete.

Holland also represented The Bahamas at the Pan American Games, where he earned a bronze in the long jump. The National Champion and national High School Long Jump record holder went on to represent the country as a World Under 20 team member. In the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) he is a silver medalist in the U23 4x100 meter sprint race.

The young Holland has a path to success that continues on, as he persevered to perfect his craft. But while at home in The Bahamas, he made a pointed decision to give back to the community that nurtured him into the man he is today.

"Coming from humble beginnings, I grew up on the island of Andros, using my talent in the sport of track and field to gain worldwide exposure," Holland said.

"Growing up, I played almost every sport there is. However, track and field was the first sport I loved unconditionally. It was in the year 2013 that I started to take things more seriously. I turned all my focus to this sport, knowing that the following year, I would be graduating with no idea what I wanted to do afterwards. Fast forward to 2014, still living on the island of Andros, I made my first Bahamian national team at the age of 16. I did that with just one year of consistency. I would say that was my breakthrough year... and the rest was history."

Holland was offered full scholarships to attend private high schools throughout The Bahamas. He decided to attend Tabernacle Baptist Academy in Freeport, Grand Bahama to further his career. His mother was an unwavering support, boosting his ability to achieve greatness. In later years, his coach, who is a father figure to him, would also be instrumental in motivating him to higher heights.

"Upon graduating, I was offered numerous collegiate scholarships," Holland shared.

"I went on to attend South Plain Junior College in Texas and dominated at the collegiate level. I returned home in 2019 and continued my professional career in track and field. Fast forward a year later, and 2020 was one of, if not the best year of my athletic career. I achieved a mark of 8.15m/26.9ft leap in the long jump, making me the 55th out of 1000 long jumpers worldwide that year, that jump was also only 7cm shy of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying mark."

As he continues to reach high to achieve his goals, Holland is not moving ahead alone. He plans to bring up as many young people in Fresh Creek and throughout Andros Island in order to create more opportunities for them to excel as well. He recently held a track camp in Fresh Creek, passing on the skills and the motivation that helped him to reach far beyond the borders of the sleepy town with picturesque views he calls home.

"I was raised in Andros practically my entire life," Holland said.

"I can say with certainty that growing up in Andros when I was a child was so much different than it is nowadays. Children were more interested in sports back then, compared to now. I recently decided to move back home and while being home for a few months, I’ve noticed how much our youths are lacking leadership. All they need is someone who will give them the opportunity that I had as a child. So, I'm taking the opportunity to do so myself."

"I have the experience of what it takes to start as a little child just enjoying playing in the yard and running around, to transform into a professional athlete. I understand the ins and outs of what it takes to get to the next level. I’ve represented The Bahamas numerous times on many different levels. It has allowed me to see and experience the opportunities that come with sports, specifically track and field. I want to use my knowledge and talents to help the youths of Andros. Whether you’re from North, Central or South, let’s help wake up the giant that’s been sleeping for so long!"

That kind of passion is exactly what the Family Islands need to succeed. If more children are given opportunities for their talents to shine, more of them would be able to come back home and make investments that would benefit their community.

Sadly, the sleeping giant has towns that have been abandoned, and others that are on the verge of extinction. Areas where entire communities once thrived, are now patches of abandoned homes covered in bush. Abandoned schools and clinics can be seen in areas where a bustling village has been decimated to an area with just a few homes.

Matters have been made worse in recent times. The sole ATM Banking machine that services North and Central Andros has repeatedly gone down for the past few months. During the Easter period, the machine was down for about a month. Currently, weeks have passed without residents being able to access cash. From time to time, some of the stores will swipe debit cards and offer cash back, but the fees are high.

It's even worse for people in Central Andros, in areas such as Fresh Creek, as residents would have to drive over an hour to get to North Andros - not to mention the big gas bill incurred along the way.

With less and less cash circulating in Andros, businesses are being affected, and so are people's livelihoods. Many parents have complained in the past few weeks that although you can use your card at certain stores to purchase goods, there is a minimum spending requirement of $25. To make matters worse, their children have not been able to get lunch money to go to school.

If people with passion and purpose like Holland are to make a difference to the Family Islands that matter to them, issues like these must be immediately rectified. Meanwhile, it is hoped that the work he is doing for young Androsians today, will bode well for their future and the future of track and field in The Bahamas. For Androsians interested in Holland's programme, send an email to hollandmartin@gmail.com.