He may have been a proverbial mile from a medal but Dow Travers must have
felt like a podium member all the same. He started as 101st, with
only two skiers classified as slower yet finished 69th. Considering
he is a part-time athlete, having to spend more time earning a degree than on
the slopes, that was a commendable achievement. All Caymanians should feel
proud and hail the youngster who beat competitors from much bigger countries
that actually have mountains and snow. He’s a champ in my books.
Jamaica’s heroic bobsleigh team from the 1988 Olympics in Calgary is so
enduring that there is a genuine feeling of disappointment that they are not at
these games. Errol Kerr competes in the freestyle ski cross for Jamaica on
Saturday, but it’s not the same. In fact, a bar in Whistler - Savage Beagle -
has added Jamaica Bobsleigh to its name for the duration of the Olympics.
Cynical marketing ploy, sure, but it emphasises just how popular the Cool Runnings
team was.
The Jamaican connection has a certain resonance with many. I got into
conversation with a German wearing a Jamaican scarf. Turned out Alvox was sent
to Kingston as part of Germany’s Peace Corps in 1967. Not speaking a word of
English, much less patois, he hated it initially but within two months came to
love Jamaican life and culture and stayed for ten years, marrying a local girl
in the process. They are still married, live in Frankfurt now, but return to
Jamaica regularly. The Jamaican tourist board runs an advert with the
catchline: ‘Once you go, you know.’ That sounds about right.