University Games, Colombia 2019…
By Timothy Jaikarran
In the University Games currently ongoing in Colombia, the University of Guyana are battling against Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil and Panama. For Kevin Paul, the journey has been one to relish competing in the athletics division.
Paul is currently a student of the University of Guyana studying for a Bachelor of Education (Secondary), majoring in Mathematics. At the games, Paul walked away with a total of three medals: two silver in the 400m and 4x400m relay respectively, and a bronze in the 4x100m relay.
Speaking with Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive interview, Paul said, “During the race, from the starting block I kept hearing my students’ words, and kept reflecting on the messages they (had) sent me before (I left) the country. I remembered all the pictures I posted before the events started.
“While running, I kept telling myself I need to do this one for my nation. I also reflected on the last 400m I ran back at home on Saturday at Leonora, and I couldn’t let them down. I knew I had to do this one to make them proud. All I had wanted was to make my family, students, friends and the entire Guyana proud.”
Paul said that while he is proud of his achievements, come next year, in the 2019 University Games, he needs to strengthen his finish in the 400m and his 100m. He said he needs to start training hard and push in the extra work; he simply needs to.
He also said the team had faced disadvantages, as the atmosphere is extremely challenging, with temperatures going as low as 8 degrees Celsius, and warming up and running in a high altitude country is a very difficult thing to do.
As a Guyanese participating in sports in Colombia, the breathing, stretching and running present challenges by themselves. Many athletes from countries below sea level were seen taking oxygen from the health specialist, Paul relayed. He said he managed to maintain his positivity and believed in himself to go beyond his limits.
Paul has declared, “I’d like to thank the Almighty, for blessing me with health and strength; the University of Guyana Sports Committee, for selecting me to be an ambassador of the nation’s prestigious institute; the Sports Director, Miss Fraser; Coach Mark Scott, for pushing in the overtime; the pastors, members and followers of Goed Intent First Assembly of God church; Pastor Godwin North, Elizabeth Seecharan, Ramesh Pooran, Travis Hardy and Feroze Rafiek.
(I would also like to thank) my family and friends, especially my mom, Charlene Paul; and the teachers, parents and students of Sir Paul’s Lessons, for believing in their mathematics teacher.”
