Most young athletes grow up emulating a hero of their sport, aspiring to be as good as that individual. Our next sports feature, Corniel Lionel, never aspired to be as good as his hero; he aspires to be better!
Raised in Marisule, Corniel developed a love for track from a young age, and has since gone on to enjoy many successes in the sport. He recalls the thrill of the yearly Inter-Secondary School Championship and how it contributed to honing his talent while he was a student of the Entrepot Secondary School.
The championships fueled great rivalry and heartbreaking disappointment, and it fostered the building of lifelong friendships. The rivalry in particular, infused Corniel and his fellow athletes with a great sense of pride and a love for competition at the secondary school level.
Corniel, or Jessie as he is widely known (his name is actually ‘Jaycee’), presently attends the Abilene Christian University (ACU) in Texas, where he is pursuing a degree in communications.
Being a student athlete means a lot to Corniel. Getting the opportunity to study at university is something he had always worked towards, and he’s extremely grateful that his athletic ability led to the realisation of that dream. For him, education is an integral part of self-development and he sees it as vital in opening doors for young people like him.
‘I came here firstly to get an education, and then to compete. For now, my studies take priority.’
Corniel’s roommate is another rising star in St Lucia athletics. He is Rosen Daniel. Corniel credits Rosen’s presence as a contributing factor in helping him remain grounded and focused. Their friendship dates back to the secondary school circuit, and they continue to inspire each other at school. The two athletes often cook up an assortment of local dishes, and for Corniel that’s an added bonus. He chuckled when he revealed that what they enjoy cooking most is ‘dumplings.’ A career in the culinary arts after track and field, perhaps? Don’t count that out!
Corniel points to the training techniques he’s being taught as one of the main differences between his sport in St Lucia and the United States. It must be acknowledged that the USA is miles ahead of St Lucia in terms of sports development, due to the substantial amount of money being pumped into the development of athletes and sporting infrastructure. However, it emphasizes the fact that local sports clubs and athletes need to take a closer look at their training regimen and see how they can improve on their techniques.
‘In the US, training often consists of foundation, circuits, gym work and running. It is not so in-depth in St Lucia, as most training sessions involve just running.’
Earlier this year, on April 18, Corniel lined up against some of the best young athletes in America, at the John Jacobs Invitational in Oklahoma. He ran a brilliant 200m race, setting a new national record of 20.63 seconds in the process. When asked how he felt after breaking the record, he recalls the events leading up to the milestone.
‘I was speaking with Lennie Leonce before the meet and we were joking about the possibility of breaking the record. Amazingly, I went out to compete and that is exactly what happened.’
Despite his achievements so far, Corniel has remained humble and acknowledges that he still has much work to do to improve. He takes pride in representing St. Lucia and credits the support of the nation for keeping him steady and focussed. To him, young athletes should aspire to representing their country at the highest level.
‘I am aware of the support at home, and it makes me really proud to represent St. Lucia. I enjoy it especially because of the feedback which I receive.’
In 2015 Corniel was shortlisted for the Sportsman of the Year award at St. Lucia’s National Sports Awards for his outstanding performance in track and field during the 2014/2015 athletics season. His nomination came on the back of a string of consistent performances at meets across the United States. Although he eventually lost out to Darren Sammy for the national award, he remains upbeat about the possibility of capturing the coveted honour in the future.
‘If I become fortunate enough to win the award in future, I will dedicate it to God. He has always been there for me, even during my toughest times.’
Corniel’s career hasn’t been without its share of challenges. According to him, his biggest challenge is trying to motivate himself. He remains grateful to the few people in his life who have always been there to motivate him. His mother Cornielia Jn. Baptiste, Aunt Naomi Jn Baptiste, cousin Phillipa, grandfather ‘Joey’, Dorothy Odlum and Miller Charles all form part of his motivational circle.
While qualifying for the Olympic Games is high up on his list of short term goals, Corniel looks forward to becoming his grandfather’s first grandchild to obtain a university degree. In the long term, he hopes to continue excelling for St Lucia on the international scene. He hopes to eventually acquire his own business when he hangs up his track boots.
Corniel believes that track and field in St Lucia is not where it should be, and offered a few suggestions on how the sport could be improved to benefit as many young people as possible.
‘We need better training programmes in St Lucia, especially within our schools. Public and private sector partnerships are also vital in sustaining and improving the sport. Most importantly, every stakeholder needs to take some level of responsibility for improving the sport, instead of constantly relying on the authorities.’
It is clear that in Corniel, we have a promising young athlete capable of representing his country with distinction for years to come. We salute him on his achievements thus far, and encourage him to keep striving to accomplish his goals.
