By Michelangelo Jacobus
If 2017 was the year of athletics in Guyana, then 17-year-old Daniel Williams is the personification of that success.
Born in the mining town of Linden, Williams has already tasted success in a major international competition; his success came in his specialist event, the 400 metres dash.
Blazing trails! Daniel Williams was the poster boy for athletics in Guyana in 2017
At the World Under-18 Championships in July, 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya, Williams ran a personal best time of 46.72s to win a silver medal and stun the world.
Daniel started taking part in athletics at the Primary school level where he excelled. His success was transferred into the secondary level and he became a constant figure at the National Schools Athletic Championships. In 2017, he became the most decorated athlete at the National Schools Championships, owning records in the High Jump, 100M, 200M and 400M, competing in the U12, U14, U16 and U18 categories.
The young speed ace announced his appetite for big things in April 2017 when he placed second in the 400m at the CARIFTA Games in Curacao. However, his elation was short lived as he was soon after disqualified for lane infringement.
Seemingly unperturbed `Mr. Dynamic’ returned and would make amends in front of his home crowd. Showing a mental fortitude that belied his age, Williams came up against the best from this continent and won a silver medal in the same event at the South America Youth Championships.
His hard work paid off and he was selected by the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) along with jumper Chantoba Bright to represent Guyana in Kenya.
Williams collecting his Champion Boy trophy at the National Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships
Williams repaid the association’s faith by capturing only the second World U-18 medal for Guyana at the Championships.
However, Daniel’s talent is not limited to the track. He attends the Mackenzie High School (MHS) in Linden, and in 2015, he found success at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations, gaining a Grade One pass, four Grade Twos and three Grade Threes in his eight subjects.
Williams would later move to Sixth Form at the same institution, where he completed Unit One at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and is now in the process of completing Unit Two and also has an aspiration of studying Mechanical Engineering.
If 2017 has been a revelation, then 2018 promises bigger things for Williams as several colleges on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have since come calling, after noticing his growth, especially in the 400M, where his 46.72 seconds was the second fastest in the world.
One can only hope that the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) do their best to ensure that Guyana’s young track star receives all the necessary support to step to the next level and possibly go on to win Guyana’s next Olympic medal.
