Sport has always wielded tremendous influence in society, serving as a unifying force and source of national pride. Cherita O’Dell, a transformational speaker and former Olympic qualifier, emphasised this profound impact during her keynote speech at the 4th National Session for Young Participants (NSYP) hosted by the National Olympic Academy of Barbados on August 16 at the Barbados Beach Club.
Addressing the audience at the opening ceremony, O’Dell, reflecting on the recent Olympic Games, delved into the topic “The Athlete’s Role in Fostering Unity,” captivating attendees with her perspectives on how athletes are pivotal in dismantling barriers and promoting cultural interaction.
Building on this sense of unity
She observed that the Paris Olympics brought together people from all walks of life around sport and fair play, adding, “There’s something about the Olympics and these big games that make people feel happy.”
O’Dell’s comments came as she cited Commonwealth gold medallist Sada Williams’ recent accomplishment of reaching the finals in the 400 metres as a prime example. She described it as a “mega achievement”, considering that only a tiny fraction of the world’s athletes even makes it to the Games.
“For that day, there was a feeling of unity, a spirit of togetherness. And even as we watched the other activities, if there was no Bajan in the event, we were identifying with the next Caribbean person. We were there rooting for them because of unity – they almost represented us by proxy. There’s something that just stirs us up, knowing too that in the Caribbean, we are small nations, but we get to feel big for a moment.”
NSYP developing leadership capacity
NSYP 2024 brought together a diverse group of individuals aged 20 to 30 from various sporting roles, including athletes, coaches, and volunteers. For the first time, the NOA welcomed participants from the region. One representative from Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts and Nevis accepted the invitation to attend. Vaneisha Cadogan, addressing her last NSYP as Director of the National Olympic Academy, explained that the NSYP was born out of a vision to provide a platform for young, emerging sports leaders to engage in dialogue on issues relevant to sport.
“Ultimately, NSYP aims to develop leadership capacity by encouraging young sportspersons to examine the environment in which they engage and determine how to navigate through it and how to develop that environment,” she said.
Among the topics covered over the three-day event, held under the theme The Athlete in Modern Society: Inspiring and Fostering Unity, were Sport and Sustainability, Talent vs. Technology: The Making of an Elite Athlete, Gender Identity and its Impact on the Sporting Landscape, and Making Room for the Paralympic Athlete in Modern Society. Cadogan encouraged participants to engage fully in the sessions, announcing that two participants (one male and one female) will be selected to attend the International Session for Young Olympic Ambassadors in Olympia, Greece, next year.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sasha Sutherland, Executive Director of the Caribbean RADO and Chair of the Education Commission at the Barbados Olympic Association Inc., underscored the programme’s importance and lauded the initiative.
“This year’s session theme is critical because as athletes and individuals proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise, you have a unique privilege to inspire others to greatness, to overcome adversity, to advocate for change, or to defend a position that might be unpopular, where other voices outside of sport would also render those campaigns useless.”
The NSYP was launched in 2021 as a one-day event. Following participant feedback, the NOA extended it to two days in 2022 and 2023. However, in response to ongoing requests for a longer format, NSYP 2024 was organised as a three-day residential event from Friday, August 16, to Sunday, August 18, 2024.