Gwendolyn Smith was the standout gold medallist for the T&T Association of Masters Athletics (TTAMA) at the recently concluded North, Central American, and Caribbean Masters Athletics (NCCMA) Championships.
Held in Mexico City from November 6-9, Smith secured an unprecedented three gold medals in the throws, dominating the javelin, shot put, and discus events. She also added two silver medals in the hammer and weight throws, contributing significantly to the team's total.
The 17-member team, aged 35 to 85, achieved collective success, securing an impressive 29 medals—17 gold, nine silver, and three bronze—finishing an outstanding fourth in the medal standings among 33 competing countries.
The team's success was marked by several athletes earning multiple gold medals.
Robert Stevenson (85-89 years), the team's oldest competitor, earned double gold in the 200 metres and 400m events—an exceptional achievement.
Natasha Kelshall (45-49 years) and Michelle Sturge (55-59 years) both delivered dominant sprint performances, securing double gold medals in the 100m and 200m.
Cheryl Reyes (65-69 years) was another double gold medallist, topping the throws podium in both the hammer throw and weight throw, and adding a silver in shot put.
Anselm Le Bourne, returning to compete for T&T, secured gold medals in the 800m and 1,500m, and earned a bronze in the 400m.
"Queen of the Road" Susannah Joefield (70-74 years) won gold in the 800m and silver in the 1,500m.
Other individual gold medallists included Rondell Paul (35-39 years) in the men's 100m, Murrien Mitchell (50-54 years - Note: Corrected age group range for consistency) and Dave Masiah (35-39 years) in the 400m.
Fifteen (15) of the 17 athletes returned home with medals on Tuesday, overcoming the challenging high-altitude conditions in Mexico City. Rumaldo Noreiga displayed inspiring resilience, earning silver in the men’s javelin after suffering a hamstring injury during the 100m event.
Team leader Sheldon Mason, president of TTAMA, contributed a silver medal in the 400m (40-44 years) and a bronze in the long jump. He remarked that the team performed exceptionally well despite challenging high altitude conditions at 7,000 feet above sea level.
As the Masters season concludes, the TTAMA is now preparing for the 2026 T&T Masters Championships, scheduled for May 23-24 at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain, where the nation’s masters athletes will compete once again.
