Seventeen-year old Shaqane Greene of Mona High School appears to have his sights set on competing at an Olympic Game in the near future. Shaqane’s interest was piqued after he was selected to lead the Jamaican leg of the 3rd edition of the Relay around the World on March 14^th, 2024, as part of the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“I would love to make it to the Olympics," a slightly out of breath Green said wistfully. He had just handed over the Olympic baton to his schoolmate, Jewel Montique, who was making her way around The UWI Usain Bolt Track as part of a larger global effort to symbolically hand the baton off from one country/territory to the next.  The 24-hour event, which was organised by French embassies around the world, saw the baton making its way from New Zealand to Tahiti, French Polynesia. The Jamaican leg of the Relay, which got under way shortly after 9:00 am and lasted for one hour, had participants from 24 schools and universities including The UWI Mona. The French Embassy and the Alliance française, had invited institutions offering the French Language as part of their curricula to get involved, and schools in Kingston, St Catherine, St Elizabeth, Manchester, and St Mary came out in full force.  During the Relay, which was transmitted across the world, representatives from National associations staged demonstrations in fencing, archery, taekwondo and gymnastics.

Antoine Simenel, Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy in Jamaica, told the gathering that the event served to unite the world around the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. “To all the children who are with us this morning and about to begin the Jamaican leg of the Relay, you are not running only because this track is oval and there is a finish line; you are running towards a great future and entering a world scene where you will do wonders,” Simenel said in a brief address prior to the start of the race. “Your passion and enthusiasm are the driving force behind everything that we do, and you can always count on us, your parents, and your teachers to support you in every way we can,” he added. 

Simenel’s message apparently resonated with young Greene, who questioned whether he was old enough to qualify for the Olympics. But Greene, who runs track and plays football, will have to put his Olympic dreams on hold as he is currently preparing for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certification (CSEC) examination. “I am not currently training because I am preparing for CSEC. I plan to return to training after exams,” he said. 

The Relay was hosted by The UWI, Mona Campus. Alliance Française de Kingston, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Ministry of Education and Youth, and the Jamaican Olympic and Paralympic associations also partnered with the French Embassy to execute the event under the Terre de Jeux 2024 programme.

Marsha Smith, State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, stretches her bow while taking aim at the target during an archery demonstration at The UWI Usain Bolt Track on March 14th, 2024. The occasion was the Jamaican leg of the 3rd edition of the Relay around the World organised by the French Embassy and Alliance Française in Jamaica, as part of the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Photo by Aston Spaulding