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Chelsea
Gatcliffe, head girl at St Joseph’s Convent Port-of-Spain,
accepts a token from Ato Boldon after he spoke to students
at the school. His visit was part of the Guardian in Education
tour. Photo: Lester Forde
One
of the greatest gifts in life is sharing. It is also more
than just getting distinctions at O-and A-Level examinations
but helping others to achieve.
The advice was given to students of St Joseph’s Convent,
Port-of-Spain, by former world sprint champion Ato Boldon
last Thursday, during another stop on the Guardian in Education
tour.
“If
your goal in life is to pass exams, look out for yourself
and not share, then all your efforts would be in vain,”
Boldon said.
“Who
are we really competing against? If you are the smartest
girl, please help the other girl. The time to be selfish
is when you have to focus.”
Speaking from his own successes academically and on the
athletic track, Boldon said he made time to assist others.
“I
have enjoyed success. I didn’t cheat anybody. I made
sure that I helped other people,” he said.
Boldon attributed a lack of sharing to the way how children
are raised today.
A lot has changed since he was a child, he said. In his
time, everyone looked out for one another. Now, he said,
everyone is looking out for numero uno.
“This
has to be the most self-sufficient generation ever,”
he said.
Comparing how his parents included him in every activity
when he was younger, Boldon said he realised today’s
parents were the opposite.
“Parents
are too busy. They have work, they have fete, they have
vacation...some parents have other priorities,” he
said.
But this, he said, should not deter how young people develop
themselves.
“Decide
from now how you are going to be the most important for
yourself,” he told the female students who hung on
to his every word as they listened in the school’s
chapel.
The most important thing, Boldon added, was not to be afraid.
“As
long as you call yourself a Christian, it means you do not
live your life in fear.
“You
live according to certain principles and have faith that
things are going to be okay,” he said.
“And
as humans, people also decide what they are going to reflect
about and what they are going to be afraid of.
“But
by facing the negative elements, a person can move away
from the fear.
“Relate
to all the negative things that you see.”
An athlete for 12 years, Boldon admitted that it took him
a while to figure that out.
“You
cannot spend any time worrying about that which you cannot
control. There are seven other people in the lane next to
you...the only thing I control is my lane,” he said.
But in handling defeat, one must also accept and deal with
it, he added.
“If
Stern John had cost us a place in the World Cup by missing
that penalty...he is well aware of the word chance,”
he said.
Boldon also attributed former West Indies cricket captain
Brian Lara as an example of hanging tough.
“I
have learnt a lot from him. Regardless of praises for him
or the burning of an effigy of him on the Brian Lara Promenade,
he keeps the same mentality,” he said.
“I
hope most of you are smart to figure it out. It should not
matter to you what other people think.”
The Guardian in Education Making a Difference school tour
is sponsored by the National Gas Company, RBTT, BG Trinidad
and Tobago, Guardian Holdings Ltd and Yara Trinidad Ltd.
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