Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis battled two cramps and aching knees to finish his “walk the talk” mission when he crossed the finish line of the 26.2-mile Trinidad and Tobago International Marathon, yesterday.
Draped in the national flag and followed by an army of athletes, supporters and well-wishers, Lewis willed himself to complete a journey that started promptly at 3.30 a.m. yesterday at St Mary’s Junction, Freeport, and concluded almost seven hours later in the blazing sun in front Whitehall at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
The mission, to raise awareness of the #10gold24 Athlete Welfare and Preparation initiative, was complete. But it was anything but easy.
Lewis would say after the race: “I had to dig real deep. The pain from the cramps were so severe and after a while it actually felt that I had pulled my left hamstring in the last two miles. But quitting is not in my make up.”
Lewis would have been drawing on the memories of six marathons he had treked during his 20s and 30s. But Lewis, his knees and bones plundered by those same marathons and his sport of choice, the contact-filled rugby.
In the early morning darkness, Lewis embarked on his awareness trek with radio commentator Tony Lee,former CNC3 sports anchor Roger Sant, and top pistol shooter, Sgt Roger Daniel of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force— the only individual who would accompany Lewis the entire course.
The TTOC boss comfortably completed those initial miles, having prepared himself on a diet that included up to 16 mile walks to Maracas Bay.
Daniel, a T&T high performance athlete who won bronze at the CAC Games last November, was keeping Lewis up to his paces urging him to accelerate and go steady at set intervals, making sure the former rugby player was on target for his seven-hour goal time. “Get your arms into it,” Daniel would echo regularly.
At Munroe Road, Cunupia, Tony Lee had conceded way to TT Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene as Lewis chugged on in the darkness. Skeene gave way to former TTFA technical director Anton Corneal then, as dawn broke, to the ever chirpy Andre Baptiste, who gave regular radio reports by cellphone until the finish. A group of wrestlers donning “TTOC support” tee shirts had also joined.
At Mt Lambert, top T&T marathon swimmer Christian Marsden had inserted himself. A few minutes after was when Lewis started to experience his first difficulties. Even with supporters along the Eastern Main Road clapping and shouting their support, including a young girl who personally handed Lewis $84 for the Fund at a water stop in Champ Fleurs. the reality of dehydrating muscles descended on Lewis.
As Lewis and a growing entourage (his wife Sandra, parents of top junior swimmer Dylan Carter (Tracy and Everard) and school friend Anton La Fond) traversed San Juan, the accompanying WI Sports pick up tray turned into an impromptu stretcher as physio Roger Evelyn had to deep massage Lewis’ left hamstring in San Juan. “Whatever you do, make sure I am able to finish,” Lewis told the physio, Daniel and Baptiste.
Ten minutes after ingesting some salt, applying some sport rub and resuming his walk, Lewis was lying prostrate in the pick up again. But favouring that leg, Lewis still got up again and resumed the walk. As Lewis neared the 23-mile post, renowned flagman Joey Richardson had joined in on the South Quay stretch to Wrightson Road where Lewis recalled Marsden told him:”Mr Lewis, it takes two hands to clap. You are doing your part, we the athletes must do ours.”
The Lewis-led group proceeded to the 24-mile mark onto Ariapita Avenue then north to Cipriani Boulevard, past the 25-mile mark.
Lewis’ son, Aasan with his group of national 7s rugby team members, who had earlier completed the marathon, tacked back to join Lewis on the Queen’s Park West stretch to QRC. And on the final stretch to Whitehall, Richardson had started a chant “T&T, we want gold!” accompanied by the chorus of followers, all the way across the line.
“I am glad it (the walk) resonated so deeply with the public and it just goes to show there are still wonderful and tremendous people in this country who want to see the country progress,” Lewis said in a post-race interview. Lewis will be hoping the expressed goodwill converts into sustainable, tangible financial support, for T&T athletes in the coming years.

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PRESIDENT OF the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) Brian Lewis took a personal stance for all national athletes yesterday when he completed the gruelling 26.2 mile Trinidad and Tobago International Marathon (TTIM) distance in an effort to raise a nationwide awareness for the Athlete Welfare and Preparation Fund.

The main aim of this newly established fund is to assist athletes with their preparations towards achieving the TTOC’s ultimate goal of achieving “10 Olympic gold medals by 2024”.

Lewis, who opted to grab the bull by the horns in his open plight, walked the entire distance in an estimated six hours and 50 minutes.

He was joined by a contingent of approximately 25 which comprised of several sporting personalities and athletes including Andre Errol Baptiste, Tony Lee, Olympic shooter Roger Daniel and youth swimmer Christian Marsden.

After his challenging trod from St Mary’s Junction to the Queen’s Park Savannah, Lewis took time out to ice his feet while taking a well deserved rest. Speaking to the TTOC president, he admitted that the journey was vigourous, but remained optimistic about the benefits derived from his initiative.

“It was tough but very good because I had a lot of support,” said Lewis. “Tony Lee did a really strong ten miles in the beginning and that sort of set the stage for me. Because if we did not have such a good pace in the early parts of the walk when I had some difficulties, I would have lost some ground. Fortunately we were able to finish five minutes less that the seven-hour target that I set. I think I have succeeded in raising the awareness about achieving ten Olympic gold medals by 2024 and athlete welfare and preparations.”

Lewis also revealed that he will have some resting up to do before he even considers attempting another feat such as yesterday. Having completed his target, Lewis directed all focus on TT’s athletes, all of whom his actions were centred around during the long walk.

“It signals a new mindset, a new attitude and a new approach where we target a big goal and a big dream of ten Olympic gold medals by 2024. What is most important in this situation is putting the athletes first, second and third because it is all about the athletes,” he added.

Prior to the TTIM, Lewis projected a $500,000 target and will confirm the Fund’s earnings later this week, all of which will be injected into the Fund for national athletes.

“I think I need a long rest after this before I even consider taking on a marathon. But it was worth it because it was all for the athletes. We will see how much we raised going forward and the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee is intent on putting the athletes and their welfare at the centre of our focus. I would expect that we would be doing a lot of things that would be beneficial to the athletes,” Lewis closed.

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...Browne, Quan Chan return

T&T will be without the talented Darren Cowie and five other regulars for the FIH World Hockey League Round Two qualifiers set for Chula Vista, San Diego, California, USA, from February 28 to March 8.

This after Cowie, who led the team as captain to the Round One win in Jamaica last September and a silver medal at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in November, was forced to withdraw from the team due to work commitments.

In addition to Cowie, other members of the team who participated in the first-round series and the CAC Games in Mexico are also forced to pull out of the event. They include Aidan De Gannes, Christopher Scipio and Ishmael Campbell through work commitments, while Kiel Murray and Stefan Mouttet are injured.

However, making a return to the team are England-based Kwandwane Browne, Dillet Gilkes and Dwain Quan Chan, all of whom will be making their first tour together in over a year, while youngsters Joshua Olton, Kelon Skerritt and Teague Marcano have all been drafted into the training squad.

Francis also welcomed the introduction of the new faces in the training squad, saying, “The team is in transition at the moment as over the next couple of years, players like Browne and Gilkes and a few others will not be around, and it is hoped that these youngsters gain enough experience now to pick up where they leave.

“We have a lot of youth in the set-up now with the Emmanuel brothers, Kristin and Kwasi, Marcano boys, Tariq and Teague as well as Lyndell Byer, Joshua Olton and Kelon Skerritt, and they are all the future of T&T hockey.

In California, T&T will compete in one group with USA, Russia and Canada while Austria, Chile, Ireland and Italy are in the other round-robin group at the end of which the team will meet in cross-over quarterfinal matches followed by semifinals, third placed and final matches.

And looking ahead to the tournament, coach Glen “Fido” Francis,” who returns to lead the team after interim coach Raphael Govia coached the team through the round one series in Jamaica last year, said the group draw for the local squad is a tough one, but also presents a good chance to prove itself worthy of being involve.

“We will be the lowest-ranked team in the tournament and based on the new format we are already assured of a quarterfinal spot as only eight teams are involved.

“However, we want to get past that hurdle and reach the semifinals for the least.

“The current crop of players are a very good mix of youth and experience, but we still have lots of work to do as a team and for that we will need to the support of the powers that be financially,” he said.

A former national goalkeeper Francis also welcomed the return of Browne, who he says will bring a lot to the team.

Following the World League round-two series, the national men’s team is carded to head to the Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada, from July 10-26.

Men’s training squad

Ron Alexander, Kwandwane Browne, Cogie Butler, Lyndell Byer, Shaquille Daniel, Solomon Eccles, Kwasi Emmanuel, Kristen Emmanuel, Dillet Gilkes, Nicholas Grant, Dominic Jaikaransingh, Marcus James, Shane Legerton, Terrence Baptiste, Justin Pascal, Tariq Marcano, Che Modeste, Michael O’Connor, Allan Henderson, Mickell Pierre, Dwain Quan Chan, Jordan Reynos, Andrey Rocke, Karlos Stephen, Akim Toussaint, Jordan Vieira, Danil Trancoso, Dominic Young, Teague Marcano, Kelon Skerritt, Joshua Olton.​

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The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step ~Lao Tzu  The journey to #10golds24 (10 or more Olympic Gold Medals by 2024) will begin  on Sunday 25 January 2015 at 330am at St Mary's Junction , Freeport.

A new mindset, vision ,attitude and culture  #10golds24 #walkyourtalk. Athlete centred athlete focused.

Failure is not an option.

History of the Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 km (26 miles and 385 yards) that is usually run as a road race. The event began as a commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.

Legend has it that in 490 BC there was a big war between the Persians and the Greeks on the battlegrounds of Marathon. Despite being outnumbered by the Persians 5:1, the valiant Greeks managed to defeat the Persians. The retreating Persians headed for Athens (the capital of Greece) in ships to capture the women and children who were waiting for the news about the war. The Greek army commissioned Pheidippides to carry a message to the waiting families, the news of the victory and to warn them of the approaching danger. Pheidippides ran 40 kms from Marathon to Athens very tired. He managed to convey the message and immediately thereafter, collapsed and died.

This great event inspired the inclusion of the Marathon as an event in modern day Olympics. The first Marathon race was run in 1896 at the Summer Olympics. The race was won by the Greek runner, Spiridon Louis.

Training to be an Olympic champion is a full time commitment requiring significant time and resources. In an effort to further support the athletes of Trinidad & Tobago, the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) recently announced the launch of the #10golds24 Athlete Welfare and Preparation Fund.

The vision of #10golds 24 (10 or more Olympic Gold medals by 2024) is to further enable national athletes to realize their Olympic dreams. The fund will provide financial assistance to Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games athletes to enable them to train, recover and compete at the highest level.

Fund support may include:

Direct financial support

Medal bonus

Health and Accident Insurance (Providing world class medical support to our top athletes is of paramount importance. Injury and illness can threaten an athlete's career if they're not identified and dealt with quickly.) Internships with Corporate T&T to prepare for life after elite sport Life Skills training Anti Doping education and awareness Financial Literacy training Media Training. TTOC President Brian Lewis will launch the fund on January 25th, 2015 by participating in the 2015 Trinidad International Marathon. Lewis  to raise $500,000TT for the Fund through his participation.

Other fund raising activities will be revealed in due course.

The vision of the fund is to serve TTO's athletes . It is intended that the Fund will be independent , transparent, ethical, accountable and non governmental. For our athletes fulfilling their Olympic dreams requires years of dedication, sacrifice and single minded focus. This fund underscores The TTOC's  commitment to supporting our athletes on their long and arduous journey.