Over the years Saint Lucian athletes have given some impressive performances at international sporting events but this small Caribbean Isle is yet to bring home an Olympic medal, compared, for example, to the neighbouring island of Grenada.
An enthusiastic and talented 18-year old up-and-coming athlete – Jeannelle Scheper – seems destined to change that trend. Brimming with confidence, she is all set to soar to new heights in her quest to become the region’s top high jumper.
Jeannelle is blessed with a youthful, gorgeous goddess-like stature, which undoubtedly complements her stunning athletic prowess. With a flourishing track record that any young competitor would envy, she is well poised and steadfast in her determination to excel in the sports world.
Jeannelle gratefully credits her coach, Cuthbert Modeste for nurturing her athletic skills. She says her parents, who are athletically inclined, “always kept me involved in sport,” including swimming, golf and other physical exercises like dance. She hails her mom, Sheryl as the ‘driving force’ in her overall development.
Jeannelle has represented Saint Lucia at the CARIFTA Games in long jump and high jump during her early years of competing. She also competed in the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) Meet in the BVI around age 13 – 14. After she entered the University of South Carolina (USC) she made her choice and opted for high jump as a career.
At USC where she is currently pursuing a four-year course, she has broken down barriers and is recognised as one of the institute’s most prestigious athletes.
This year she added more titles to her remarkable tally, capturing the Junior Sportswoman of the Year and the Saint Lucia Amateur Athletics Association’s (SLAAA) Athlete of the Year awards.
Back home for a brief summer vacation, Jeannelle took some time to speak to DAZZLE about her travails, hopes and aspirations for the future.
Dazzle: As an up-and-coming athlete, what sort of a thrill do you get whilst out there competing against other top contenders?
Jeannelle: When I participated in my first CARIFTA Games I thought that all the Jamaican athletes were just outstanding and I felt that I was so small and they were all so much bigger than me. But now, when I go to regional meets I feel that I am on the same level with my opponents. But there is always a higher level and now I am preparing to compete at the World Championships later this year, which is a senior meet and I will get to interact with stars like Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and other top athletes.
My ultimate goal is to compete and win at the Olympics and break records. That would be the pinnacle of my high jump career.
Dazzle: What drives you the most as a track and field athlete and what are your aspirations for future competitions?
Jeannelle: I definitely want to embark on a professional athletic career. When I first went to school I was not so sure that is what I wanted to do because athletics is such a very tedious and demanding sport. You can be on top of the world today, and then sometimes you are not good enough. But during my three-year tenure at University, my coaches have been helping me quite a bit and I have learnt to really love the sport, and I enjoy it. So now I can really see myself doing this for a living and as a career. And this is my dream – to become a professional high jumper. Athletics is an individual sport, it is very goal oriented and it is satisfying to set a goal and achieve it over a length of time. It produces tangible achievements. Also, being a student athlete requires me to perform a big role with very little free time for myself. It puts into perspective my character, mental stability and as an athlete you have to get your work done and there are standards to achieve.
Also being at school on my own has strengthened my spirituality. I try to keep God at the center of everything I do, and He has not failed me.
Dazzle: Are you satisfied that enough is being done on the island to energize and develop young athletes to take sports to a higher level?
Jeannelle: I think I can safely say that the government really does not care about sports, especially athletics. There is no money pumped into the sport, unlike say cricket and football. There are some athletes who do not have track shoes, which is really ridiculous in my opinion. The George Odlum Stadium has been used as a temporary hospital over the past four years or so and they have not done much to rectify that situation. It is sad because I know of many young people who have utilised athletics as a tool to acquire higher education. And they wonder why we have so much poverty, with so many people who have not had an opportunity to attend school when we have this blatant and obvious solution in front of us.
But despite all of this, I love Saint Lucia and I feel that the public support will come. I hope that I can contribute towards making a change after I graduate.
Dazzle magazine takes the opportunity to wish Jeannelle much success in her endeavours and sincerely hopes that she can fulfill her goal to land Saint Lucia an Olympic medal.
