Shericka Williams at the 10th IAAF World Athletic Championships in Helsinki FIN , August 2005

Ever so often,there is a streak of precocious talent flashing across the local track and field horizon that reminds us of what a blessed country we are. Despite the spoilers who outdo themselves to taint its name, this country... the Land of Bob Marley and the Reggae Boyz...strikes back, time and again, with another gem exuding poise, charm, elegance, grace, dignity, decency and decorum, all being attributes to massage the palates, awaiting the real savouring of what, it is hoped, will come.

Shericka Williams is a fine product of the district of Whitehall in the Giddy Hall postal region of St. Elizabeth. She had her genesis in the sport at the Giddy Hall All Age School competing at the Blue Cross sponsored National Primary & All Age Championships held at the National Stadium.

The first question ‘’Why are you called ‘’Wire’’?, was answered, without being posed. The tiny stripling of a miss, now upfront and personal, had seemed so ‘’big’’ as she decimated her personal best in Oslo and Gateshead last year. Her charge to ‘’peg back’’ Olympic and World Champion, Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas was riveted and, in time, cemented in the mind.

Growing up in a family not given to sports participation, and with mother and father away, it was grandma who had jurisdiction in the early days. There was always the thought expressed that she should not do any sports as it would mean coming home too late from school.

Enter veteran coach of female athletes, Eldemire Smith and the move to St. Elizabeth Technical High School (Steths). Smith who had spotted her talent proved to be, then, and still today, not only one of her greatest motivators but played a sterling role as part of her support group. It was Smith, so confident in her ability and trusting his assessment of the young Shericka, who said ‘’One day you will get the better of all those girls who are ahead of you now’’

In her conversation, she remained calm and in full control of her thoughts throughout, revealing a determination, a desire to instill in herself the discipline and the dedication that is a crucial ingredient towards any success she hopes to achieve in the sport.

Coach Smith had made mention of Brigitte Foster, an athlete he coached at Steths. Foster and Merlene Ottey were the athletes who gave a youthful Shericka the early motivation, as she wanted to be able to perform at their level as well as to represent her country.

Her first appearance at the Boys and Girls Champs saw her taking part in the two shorter sprints. However, there was limited satisfaction as Smith wanted her to run the 400m, an event she did not like. This journalist was most impressed with what came then, from the charmingly confident and composed young miss, ‘’I did not like the event, but, as a disciplined kid, you do what you are told’’

She medaled in the 200m and 400m in separate years at Champs but it was her 53.52 in the latter event, in her final year, that convinced her that Coach Smith was telling the truth about her ability. It was the year of the Grossetto World Junior Championships, and although Smith urged her to continue training after Champs, she thought that studying for exams was more important, so she sat that one out, not even going to the Trials.

The performance also brought her into the plans of MVP boss Stephen Francis who saw her as yet another class athlete to come under his guidance. Francis, it was who was later to tell her that ‘’You can win the 400m at the National Championships, which she did in 2005.

She recalls the Oslo Golden League Meeting last year. It was a cold day but she braved the weather, clocking a massive 50.93 personal best.Then it was on to the Gateshead Grand Prix. The climate was a lot more like back home and, on seeing her training partner Kaliese Spencer run a national junior 400m record, Shericka took her inspiration from that, and overcame nervousness at the start of the race to clock another impressive best of 50.24.

Disappointment came at the National Championships when, hampered by too much competition, as against training, and the ill effects of cross Atlantic travel, she surrendered her title to Novleen Williams, vowing to regain same this year. She recalls her surprise at running 22.55 for the 200m in Rieti, as it was not her event, but, nevertheless was confident that 22 2 or 22.1 was in her future.

Shericka at the National Championships

She stopped to send a message to coach Eldemire Smitrh ‘’I want to thank him for believing in me, persevering with me, I owe a whole lot to him, I really appreciate what he has done for me’’.

She gets her support from Brigitte Foster and all her club mates at MVP ‘’They are my sporting family, they do encourage me and are always there for me’’. She spoke about her early fear of getting too muscular and how that could impact negatively on other important aspects of her life. ‘’No problem, I was scared at first but then I realized that to run fast you must have muscles, so I just did what was necessary’’

ADJUSTMENTS TO BRAND NEW LIFE

‘’I am no different, I am a very simple person. I am disciplined,that is paramount, as I have to be up by five o’clock in the mornings to train and I have to go to classes, get my rest for afternoon training, so I do not allow anything to bother me. I just train, eat and get a lot of sleep, I do not even go on the road’’, that summed up her adjustment to the brand new life style of a professional athlete, who one day hopes to win an Olympic and World Championships medal.

In a relatively short career, still very young at 21, her big moments were the 2005 national title and her relay run to ensure Jamaica a mile relay silver at the Helsinki World Champs that same year. She has not had any major disappointment this far, and takes her inspiration from her non-track boyfriend, West Indies fast bowler and Steths schoolmate, Jerome Taylor, who is a major part of her support group. ‘’We talk a lot and he visits me whenever he is in Jamaica. We are very proud of each other’’. Coach Smith and her aunt also play a strong role in this area.

Spare time is simply ‘’sleep, sleep and more sleep." She watches soap operas, anything where there is love, movies too and her favourite artistes are Alain and Beenie Man, the former’s ‘’This is no ordinary love’’, her most loved song. She likes to prepare her own meals. Chicken and fish served with rice and peas are the most kind to her taste buds.

She is passionate about achieving at the highest level in the sport. After track, she wants to proceed to a Masters Degree in her current academic discipline, Business and Computer Studies.

2007 will be a stiff challenge for her, as she seeks to regain her 400m national title, acknowledging that ‘’They are all coming to do their best’’.

Her final words, in a most enthralling and supremely enjoyable interview, she was profuse in saying thanks to all her supporters ‘’I really appreciate the encouragement and the support’’. The travails of being a journalist are considerably lightened by athletes such as this, a calm, courageous and committed citizen of a country blessed to have such talent.