Kittitian World Champion sprinter Kim Collins will receive a significant honour in the renaming of the Silver Jubilee Stadium as the Kim Collins Athletic Stadium.
“We are celebrating a young man whose life represents the true values of St Kitts and Nevis. The values of hard work, sacrifice, persistence, preparation, humility, and consistency have been the catalyst as well as the driving force behind this young man’s success.” St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr. Timothy Harris
The Hon. Shawn K Richards, Deputy Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Minister of Sports announced on Friday (April 03) during the opening ceremony of the 44th CARIFTA Games that the stadium will be named in Collins’ honour.
In an address on April 5, on the sprinter’s 39th birthday, Prime Minister Dr. The Honourable Timothy Harris said that Collins’ over 20-year career in Track and Field is a reflection of the values held dear in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“We are celebrating a young man whose life represents the true values of St Kitts and Nevis. The values of hard work, sacrifice, persistence, preparation, humility, and consistency have been the catalyst as well as the driving force behind this young man’s success,” said Harris.
The Prime Minister also said that a career as long as Collins’ in athletics is a phenomenal achievement that should be celebrated and that the sprinter’s legacy will prove to be a unifying force for the people of the federation.
“Kim Collins exemplifies the talented and driven nature of our people. He exudes the tremendous will to succeed that characterized our ancestors. 20 years at the top of any activity much less a grueling sport like World Athletics where the career span is often less than ten years is phenomenal. Kim has persevered and broken all physical and social barriers that may have been placed for athletes and more significantly, Caribbean athletes. No more can the world of athletics declare that a 38-year-old sprinter cannot be the world’s number 1. No more can they say a small island man cannot be World Champion. No more can they say that a world class sprinter cannot remain so for a 20-year span. Kim Collins has broken the mould and created his own. Kim Collins’ achievements and his legacy will no doubt go beyond the track. Collins’ legacy as far as our country is concerned is his ability to unite us all. Yes Kim Collins’ legacy will be unity.”
Thanking the government for this honour, Collins said that this is an indication that the sport has come a long way in St. Kitts.
“When I became World Champion, people did not understand we did not have a surface here in St. Kitts and Nevis, but that did not stop me. I say thank you to the government and the people, not the idea of thinking about it but those who actually went out and said Kim Collins, we are going to name this stadium after you.”
Collins encouraged young athletes to strive for the highest in their careers and even outdo his own achievements.
“I hope young athletes can see this and go out and break records. And who knows, the stadium might be renamed again. I don’t mind!”
Kim Collins has represented St. Kitts and Nevis at the Summer Olympics on four occasions between 1996 and 2008 and is the first national to reach the finals. He has also competed at eight editions of the World Championships between 1997 and 2011. Among his many accomplishments includes winning the 100 metre championship at the 2002 Commonwealth Games with a run of 9.98 seconds. (St Kitts and Nevis Information Service Press Release)
