St. Lucia gears up to honor Olympic hero

Caribbean Community governments continue to celebrate and honor athletes who won medals at the recent Paris Summer Olympics, with St. Lucia getting ready to roll out the red carpet for global sprint queen Julien Alfred later this month following similar high-energy events in neighboring Dominica and Grenada recently.

Alfred beat a star-studded field to win the 100-meter sprint race and came back hours later to pick up a silver medal in the 200 meters, bringing glory to the idyllic Eastern Caribbean island nation as the first national to ever win an Olympic medal, much less two at a single Olympic race meeting.

This week, Prime Minister Phillip Pierre announced plans for a national holiday on Sept. 27 for Alfred, 23, as the country shows gratitude for her historic performances at the Olympics.
“Julien Alfred Day” will be celebrated with a free concert at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on the evening of the holiday, with St. Lucians being encouraged to come out in large numbers to honor their national icon,” a government announcement stated.

Announcing the rollout of celebrations and ceremonies for the national heroine, the government stated that apart from the national holiday, Ms. Alfred will arrive on the island on Sept. 24 to a motorcade from the main airport in the north, snaking along the east coast. The following day, there will be national school rallies at the Soufriere Mini Stadium and La Resource playing field to celebrate her fantastic victory at the highest levels. Her mural will be unveiled at The Ciceron Primary School on Sept. 26, followed by the free concert at the Daren Sammy Stadium on the holiday.

PM Pierre urged St. Lucians to come out in large numbers to celebrate the island’s finest hour on the global stage relating to sports. Alfred, who has been competing in the current Diamond League athletic championships in Europe, is also likely to be awarded a diplomatic passport as has been the case in Dominica, where triple jumper Thea LaFond Gadson brought home gold for the Emerald Isles, while Grenada did likewise for Lindon Victor who carted away a bronze on the decathlon and Anderson Peters who nabbed a bronze in the javelin throw.

Meanwhile, Alfred, who had publicly said she was tired and planned to take a holiday after national celebrations at home, will likely accept an offer from the Jamaica-based Sandals Resort for a week of complimentary stay at the luxury resort.

The chain offered to all Caribbean athletes who had medaled in Paris for rest at Sandals or Beaches Resort. “The Olympic Games are always a special time for us here in the Caribbean. Our athletes are incredibly talented, and we are thrilled to witness their wins and record-making performances. On behalf of our entire Sandals family, we excitedly celebrate with our Olympic medalists, and we look forward to hosting them for a relaxing vacation at Sandals,” said Executive Chairman Adam Stewart.