‘An exceptional moment’: Olympian Shafiqua Maloney sparks pride in St Vincent and the Grenadines

Poised to race at the starting line of the Olympics 800m final, Shafiqua Maloney had already made history as the first St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) native to compete in an Olympic final.

By then, Maloney had become a celebrity in her multi-island nation, with stories about the 25-year-old and posts of encouragement dominating the country’s news and social media. So, as she waited for the bang of the starter pistol, she knew that she was a symbol of the talent and resilience of a vulnerable small island nation 4,000 miles away.

Watching in tears from the cruise ship where she works as a housekeeping supervisor was her mother, Jessica. She had made great sacrifices to support her daughter through severe financing challenges to achieve her Olympic dreams. “I was waiting to see the result and was literally shaking,” she said, adding that she was so emotional that she struggled to watch the race.

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In St Vincent, hundreds had turned up to a watch party organised by the government and local partners. Waving flags, cheering and dancing, the packed crowd willed Maloney to win as she sped to the finish line. But even after Maloney missed out on a medal, placing fourth in the race , the jubilation continued, with calls on social media for SVG to officially recognise her as a national hero.

Maloney’s story of overcoming adversity to shine on the world stage has inspired the next generation of Vincentian athletes who are now training at the ITDAT track and field club in SVG, where the Olympian started her career.

“As a female athlete, Shafiqua’s performance was extremely inspirational. Going forward, I want to use her as a motivation to continue my track career,” Lau Browne, 16, said. Aleah Skerrit, 13, said she wanted to walk in the Olympian’s footsteps, while Jamiesha Richards, 13, was inspired by how Maloney, who had shot up the global athletics rankings, had battled through her struggles. EnnaBelle McMaster, 13, added that Maloney had taught her “to never give up and to always work hard because hard work always pays off”.

Describing the “uplifting” impact of Maloney’s Olympic journey on a population still reeling from the widespread devastation of category 4 Hurricane Beryl , the SVG sports and housing minister, Orando Brewster, said Maloney and other Vincentian Olympians such as runner Handal Roban and swimmers Kennice Greene and Alex Joachim have given the country a “much needed” moment of hope and jubilation.

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The minister, who is facing the daunting task of repairing and rebuilding 4,000 homes, some of which were completely demolished by Beryl, said: “Shafiqua’s race brought together a lot of people from all different walks of life. I saw an outpouring of love, an outpouring of support. Her race was a unifying factor. It was just an exceptional moment.”

Brewster, a former professional athlete who recently took on the sports portfolio after a cabinet reshuffle in SVG, has pledged to prioritise support for the sports sector.

Maloney’s story is a testament to how more and more Caribbean islands, many of them a dot on the globe map, are rising to the heights of Olympic glory, with the St Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred and Dominican triple jumper Thea LaFond bringing home gold to their countries.

For Maloney, Paris was a huge opportunity “to spark a fire in my people where sports is concerned, track specifically”.

She added: “Putting my country on the map – that stuff is priceless. For me personally, getting there and reaching the finals was a testament to how good God is to his children when they have faith and believe in him. It further strengthened my faith in the Lord.”