On Sunday 6th October 2019 about 2:15 p.m. there was a gigantic roar by Grenadians in Grenada and the world as Anderson Peters ascended the throne as world javelin champion. There was a perfect mix of awe and joy as the young man from St. David’s, who currently resides in Soubise, St. Andrew’s, a true son of the Grenadian soil, conquered the world by hurling the javelin further than any other competitor on the night, while the world looked on.
Anderson has lifted up our nation. He has put the world on notice that Kirani James was no one off; that there are more champions from where Kirani came. He has inspired the youth of our country and region. His immense self-confidence anchored on a good head and a humble spirit makes for a fine young man. The pride and energy he has injected in the nation by his achievement is there for all to see.
A team effort
However, with all of Anderson’s undoubted God given talent, there would have been no gold in Doha without a tremendous support system. There is first and foremost his mother. She is his foundation. There is his coach, Paul Phillip. A separate article is required to tell of the immense ability and contribution of this man. Without coach Phillip there would be no Anderson Peters. There is his primary school, the Corinth Primary School, where his gift was first spotted. There is St. David’s Catholic Secondary School, which cradled his talent. There is the St. David’s Track Blazers club, with its many committed persons, which provided an athletics home for him. There is the community of St. David’s, in particular the surrounding villages of Corinth, La Sagesse and Coals Gap. As one of Anderson’s coaches said, “The footballers would give up the training ground, the same one used by the athletes, voluntarily holding off from playing football, until Anderson finishes train”.
A Hail Mary request to Dr. Nicholas Brathwaite
However, at this celebratory moment it is worth highlighting the contribution of a member of the Grenadian Diaspora. His contribution has been decisive. But it is also a good example of how other persons in the Diaspora can partner with homebased organization to achieve outstanding results, even if not as high profiled.
In 2015 Dr. Earle Brathwaite was contacted by St. David Track Blazers club with a request for some assistance for the then unknown Anderson Peters. The request was for an elite javelin. It was a Hail Mary move made with great frustration after unsuccessfully seeking to source the javelin from elsewhere including official sources.
Elite javelins are very expensive. To purchase and get one to Grenada can cost several thousand dollars. However, the need for the elite javelin was viewed as decisive for Anderson to take his talent to the next level. Coach Paul Phillip was of the considered opinion that without access to such equipment, Anderson’s growth would be stunted. He would be recorded as just another extremely talented javelin athlete from Grenada who became Carifta Games Champion and went no further. There was justification for this fear. In 48 years of Carifta Games Grenada has dominated the javelin as much as Jamaica has dominated the sprints. Yet Grenada has never produced a javelin athlete who went beyond Carifta Gold.
Technology entrepreneur, international business leader and a philanthropist
Today Dr. Brathwaite is a highly recognised technology entrepreneur, international business leader and a philanthropist based in Silicon Valley in California. One of his noted achievements is that he took the computer firm Flextronics from a $150 million company and in a few years built it into a $20 billion company. Applying the unique Grenadian mix of self-belief and humility and a big chunk of brains, in the words of one of his Silicon Valley friends, “He conquered Silicon Valley never leaving his Grenadian accent behind”.
But it was not always so. As Dr. Brathwaite told the graduating class at McMaster University in 2018 when he was awarded an honorary doctorate by that university, “Based on any statistical analysis, I should not be here today….I am the grandson of a man who was an abused child, who stowed away on a boat at the age of 12 and never saw his family again.”
Dr. Brathwaite’s grandfather made it to Carriacou where he established a family. His family experienced severe poverty but despite that, one of the “Stoway’s” sons, Sir. Nicholas Brathwaite, Dr. Brathwaite’s father, rose to be prime minister of Grenada.
Elite javelins delivered
With his background and life experience, Dr. Brathwaite did not for a moment doubt when he was told in 2015 that an unknown 17-year-old from a poverty stricken home in rural Grenada had the ability to conquer the world if only he – Dr. Brathwaite – would lend him a hand, or to put it literally, hand him a javelin.
Within weeks of receiving the request for assistance Dr. Brathwaite had several elite javelins, the type used by the best throwers in the world, delivered to St. David’s Track Blazers and to Anderson Peters. With that injection of equipment, Anderson’s march on the road to becoming a world class athlete took off to the next level.
One of his first achievements using his new equipment was to break the Carifta Games record at Kirani James Stadium. Several more javelins would follow and several championships victories along with them including US NCAA Champion twice, NACAC Champion, Pan Am Games Champion and now World Champion. The javelins have also taken Anderson all over the world and to Mississippi University where he is a champion athlete and business studies major.
Additional support for St. David’s Track Blazers
In addition to the support with the javelins, Dr. Brathwaite committed PETNA Foundation, which he founded to honour his parents, and which is his vehicle for philanthropic work around the world especially in Africa and the Caribbean, to providing financial support to St. David’s Track Blazers club to the tune of $10,000.00 US per annum. He has placed one condition on this support. The money must be solely used for the benefit of the club and it must be accounted for. To place the financial support given to Track Blazers in context, the Grenada Athletics Federation receives financial support of $15,000.00 per annum from the IAAF.
Part of the money provided to SDTB is used to fund the SDTB/PETNA scholarship programme which supports students who are members of the club. This scholarship programme is in keeping with Dr. Brathwaite’s belief in and emphasis on education, youth development and community development.
Not the only contribution from the Diaspora
Dr. Brathwaite’s contribution highlighted here is not the only one made by Grenadians based in the Diaspora. In fact, it is not the only contribution made by Dr. Brathwaite. Many, many Grenadians in the Diaspora in their own way contribute in the areas of health, education and community development. What Grenadians based in the Diaspora want to know is that their contribution is used for the intended purpose and not taken for granted. They want to know that their contribution has positive impact on the lives of their brothers and sisters back home.
The Anderson Peters story is an example where assistance procured from our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora has been well used. It is a great example of partnering between Grenadians at home and those based in the Diaspora. It is one worth studying and emulating.
JOSEPH EWART LAYNE