Grimes wants to produce a gold medallist

Olympian and former national quarter-miler Hamil Grimes is looking to give back by starting a track and field club in Speightstown.

Grimes, now in his 60s and retired, visited the National Sports Council office yesterday in search of a home to start up the club which will cater mostly to athletes in his home community of Speightstown, St. Peter.

“I am living back here retired and still have some life in me, so I was thinking about starting a track and field club in the Speightstown area.

“I am looking to develop athletes, young to the old and I was here at the National Sports Council talking with my old schoolmate Adrian Donovan trying to see how I can use the field (in Speightstown) to try and get things going,” Grimes told Barbados TODAY.

During the telephone interview, Grimes who lived in the United States of America for more than 40-years said that by starting up this club the ultimate goal was for Barbados to one day produce an Olympic gold medallist. He noted that he was not happy with the progress he was seeing at this point.

“Like how you have football, cricket, this would just be athletics, I would just be doing the athletics part and as far as the community and trying to develop a club, hopefully, we would be able to produce an Olympic gold medallist. That’s the ultimate goal. There is not a lot of track and field in Speightstown and I think the north deserves some action as far as track and field is concerned.

“I am not happy, that is why I am here, that is why I want to start the club and do it the way I think it should be done. I know it wouldn’t be easy but I am at least willing to give it a try,” Grimes explained.

He is hoping that within the next month or two to get the club started, adding, “I do travel overseas but hopefully I get it started but it all depends on what the situation will be.”

Grimes, who competed for Barbados at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics in the 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m, was also an All-American at Kentucky State University where he graduated with a degree in engineering.

The retired engineer said he followed Barbados’ Olympians in Tokyo and while he did not comment on their performances, he shared words of encouragement to the young upcoming athletes.

“It is something that you have to keep working on, you have to first believe in yourself and reinforce in yourself that you can do it for Barbados. It takes different approaches and you have to be consistent,” Grimes said.

Those interested in joining the club or want to reach out to Grimes personally can do so at hogrimes@gmail.com.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb