Students mix and mingle with 2x Olympic champion Christian Taylor

A handful of athletes under Christ Church Foundation and the University of the West Indies Blackbirds got a chance to rub shoulders with two-time Olympic champion and Barbados hopeful Christian Taylor during his latest visit to the island. Taylor, a US athlete who won Gold in the Triple Jump at both the London and Rio Olympics despite the odds, is back in Barbados, where both his parents hail from.

 

During a mix and mingle event at the Bougainvillea Beach Resort on Wednesday evening just hours after landing, Taylor said he was glad to be back on the island. Last here in 2013, the 26 year-old took members of the media through his thought process ahead of the jump which saw him successfully defending his championship just a few months ago. “I didn't believe that it was going to be my first jump that would have won it. Usually, my fifth and sixth jumps are the ones that steal the show but God had a different plan for me that day. I was in a very positive mindset. Coming out of the Olympic Village, I knew it was going to be a special day - I knew things were really aligned. You just wake up some mornings and you just feel on fire. I just took that feeling, that fire, that drive to the competition.” he said.

 

Noting that he was not a favourite for the title this time around as he was faced with a mammoth task after battling with injury, Taylor said that he refused to let the pressure get to him. “I had four years in between the Games which were a bit of a roller-coaster. I had another world title but I also had a major injury where I had to switch my jumping legs, and so with the highs and lows, comes simple expectations. The expectations of my family, the expectations of my community and these are things that I keep in the back of my mind because I don't want to let people down.”

 

Calling himself 'a big man of prayer', the upbeat young man said making the transition was not an easy one to make as it was more mental hurdle as opposed to a physical one. “To win a world title and an Olympic title at 21 and 22, it seemed like the world was at my feet. Then to have this injury and have doctors say that if you continue to jump on it, your career will be a painful one. I said that this can't be the end of my story. God has got a bigger plan. There is no reason that I am here at such a young age – the youngest world champ and the youngest world champ in 100 years. I said that this is special – there is a reason I am here. I had to learn to turn every situation into a positive situation and that is something I share now. I try to be a living testimony of when God has a plan, nothing can stand in the way. No doctor or coach can tell you something or sometimes you can be your biggest competitor. You can hold yourself back and when you decide to let go and let God and just start thinking in a positive way, things just start to play out.” he said.

 

With a packed week ahead of him where he is expected to make several school and official visits, Taylor stated that he was passionate about children and that he was looking forward to showing them that there were no limits to what persons from Barbados could achieve. “I want to show them that there is nothing they cannot achieve and that I'm really no different than them. My family is right here in Christ Church and St. Philip and there is no reason that they can't achieve something that may seem crazy at the time.” Revealing that he could possibly find himself going into coaching in the future, Taylor went on to say that he was keeping his fingers crossed as it related to competing under the banner of Barbados as it was an ongoing process. “I think it is something that I am passionate about. I take a lot of pride in this tiny island. It would be very special to not only be in the schools but to show these kids that I could wear the colours also. I am just taking one step at a time but hopefully this visit we will see what can happen and see where we go from there.” he said.

 

With Akela Jones making waves I her Olympic debut, Taylor said that it was exciting to see another Barbadian out there doing big things and added that he expected much greater from her. “I'm big fan of Akela, even at Kansas State. She is a big girl so I was always amazed with her size and what she can do. To see her out at the Olympic Games – her first day was on fire. She was before me and that really just got me very excited and I said that I want to carry that torch, I want to carry that momentum and I think what she is doing is phenomenal. I think she represents in a very good light and she is so young and that is very exciting. Maybe she can do two or three more Olympics and I am a big fan of the sport and I would like to witness to see what she really has left in the tank.”

 

With his message to youngsters this week involving keeping God first and having fun with and loving what you do, Taylor added that one of the pinnacle aspects of success is the importance of sacrifice. “Any dream you have, any goal you have, it takes a sacrifice. Last time I spoke about giving Crop Over and giving up a lot of fun events that I truly cherish and enjoy, but I said that if I'm going to be professional I have to live like a professional, I have to treat my body like a professional and I have to sacrifice some things that may seem fun at the time but wearing this around my neck now and feeling this weight, it makes it all worth it.” he said.