In December 2008, when the La Brea Sports Foundation held its annual sports awards ceremony, a special award was made to son-of-the-soil Rondel Sorrillo for his achievements at the Olympic Games earlier that year. In China, Sorrillo had won his heat in the 200 metres, beating the mighty Usain Bolt in the process. With his typical humility, Sorrillo admitted that while he was pleased with his victory Bolt "was only jogging."
At the Sports Foundation event I was asked to deliver an address in his honour and I remarked that "at a time when young people, especially young males are stereotyped as undisciplined and aimless someone like Rondel Sorrillo comes on the scene to turn the paradigm on its head. For not only has he represented his country at the greatest athletic event in the world, but he has also earned a Technician's Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the University of Trinidad and Tobago." It was a rare achievement for a young resident of La Brea, one of the more depressed communities in the country with relatively high levels of poverty and unemployment especially at the youth level.
Since the Olympics Sorrillo has been on an athletic scholarship at the University of Kentucky where he continues to make commendable progress. Only last week he captured the prestigious NCAA 200 metres title and added the 100 metres silver medal for good measure. For those who understand the criteria necessary for success, Sorrillo's achievements should come as no surprise, despite the adverse circumstances that he encountered in his early career. His training ground was the small, uneven Sobo Village Recreation ground where several national sportsmen also began their rise to sporting glory. These include former national football captain Anthony Rougier and former West Indies superstar Gus Logie. Despite the setbacks in terms of facilities, Sorrillo had two important factors in his favour. One was a fierce determination to succeed and the other was the unwavering support of his family especially his father Kelvin Sorrillo. The elder Sorrillo, a school teacher, has been a tremendous pillar of support throughout his son's career providing the parental guidance that is so vital in developing confidence and self-esteem in our young people.
Even more remarkable perhaps has been the younger Sorrillo's resolve to avoid making excuses for himself and to stay focused on his goals. I have never heard him complain or gripe about the obstacles in his path and he has continued to work hard both on the track and in the class room. In some respects his story reflects the career of the greatest T&T athlete of all time, Hasely Crawford, who overcame even greater adversity to win Olympic gold. Sorrillo's continuing success is a timely reminder of the immense talent that resides in the young people of Trinidad and Tobago. In concluding my speech at the awards ceremony in La Brea, I stated that "there are hundreds more like Rondel Sorrillo all over the country but since we have dismissed most of them as members of a so-called 'lost generation,' it is easy to see only their transgressions." Unfortunately we have allowed the stereotype of the angry and vengeful young man to dominate public perception. The many young people who are striving daily to achieve their dreams are usually ignored as they are not considered to be "newsworthy." To his credit young Sorrillo has never needed media attention or public acclamation to validate his ability and he prefers to let his feet do the talking.
I spoke to him shortly after his NCAA triumph and he was as self-effacing as usual, admitting that he was pleased to be the collegiate champion. He did emphasise, however, that the past year had been a difficult one with injury problems as well as having to juggle his training schedule with his studies. His eventual victory against some of the best sprinters in the US is further evidence of his determination to overcome adversity and get the job done. This shy, humble young man from Vessigny Village in La Brea will continue to surprise the athletic world both here and abroad. His tranquil nature can be easily mistaken for a lack of desire but as his opponents eventually find out, he can be a fierce and uncompromising competitor. By the time the next Olympic Games roll around in 2012, Sorrillo would have graduated with a BSc in Chemical Engineering, a major achievement in itself. It would be even more spectacular if he could add the words "Olympic Champion" to his resume.
