Young cycling talent Quincy Alexander might have expected to pick up the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) Junior Sportsman of the Year award at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) on Thursday night.
But Alexander B Chapman awardee Edwin Skinner, a former T&T Olympic medallist and veteran track and field coach, had no clue he would be selected for his outstanding contributions to sport and Olympism.
In fact, ahead of the awards, the TTOC interviewed Skinner during a training session at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Even then, the former quarter-miler had not considered that it might have been to honour him.
And after the gathering had viewed the video presentation, the 71-year-old strode slowly to the stage.
"I'm totally surprised and aghast that I received such an award," Skinner told host Anthony Harford after he had been presented with it by President George Maxwell Richards in the company of Chapman.
"So you didn't suspect (you might receive an award) when they were doing the feature (interview)?" Harford asked.
"No I did not," Skinner replied, almost bashfully, to the amusement of the crowd.
"You thought they were doing a feature on Ed Skinner?" Harford further probed.
"No, I thought they were doing a feature on our young Olympians," Skinner divulged humbly, with the broadest of smiles, that prompted further laughter.
It is those same unassuming qualities that made a "deeply honoured" Skinner easily recognisable as portraying the ideals of Olympism.
"It just gives me more inspiration to continue doing what I am doing," he told the media afterward.
"One of my big goals in life is for Trinidad and Tobago to bring more Olympic medals (home) in the next few years. That's my big goal in life."
Skinner does not see himself giving up his current vocation anytime soon. He thinks he still has a contribution to make to, not just young athletes, but his community as well.
"The feedback that (some) kids give, saying that 'Mr Skinner, you have done so much for my life', it just gives you that good feeling, that encouragement to keep on going."
His other driving force is the promise young T&T athletes have to offer going into an Olympic year.
"We are in very exciting times," Skinner reasoned, "because we have some young athletes that have performed quite well and if they continue to do what is required to be a champion, I expect us to do quite well at the (London) Olympics in 2012.
"How many medals I'm not going to make predictions, but I expect very good performances."
By: Kern De Freitas
Source: www.trinidadexpress.com