Three rising track and field stars Martin Manley, Javon Francis and Yanique Thompson were among twenty-three (23) young people and two youth-serving organisations awarded with the Prime Minister’s Youth Awards for Excellence for 2013.
The awards ceremony, which was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Culture with the support of CHASE Fund, took place last Sunday night, 6 April 2014, at Jamaica House.
Manley won the 400m at the World Youth Championships in 2013 and Thompson the 100m hurdles at the same championships. Thomspon's gold came in a world record 12.94 seconds. Francis helped Jamaica to silver in the men's 4x400m relay at last year's IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.
Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, presented the awards to the 25 who were honoured for excellence in academics, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, leadership, international achievement, sports, youth in service and youth work.
The Prime Minister congratulated all of the 41 nominees and encouraged them to continue to pursue excellence. The Prime Minister said that “achieving success does not come by accident or overnight, but is the result of making the right choices, hard work, discipline, perseverance, and overcoming obstacles.”
Minister Hanna, who also congratulated nominees and recipients, said that their success was the result of “staying true to their mission by pushing themselves to do more than they did yesterday when they felt like leaving it all for later; overcoming self-doubt and silencing the naysayers who tell them they cannot achieve their dreams.”
The full list of recipients and biographies follow:
Academics: Abigail Allen
Everett Moseley
Shoyea-Gaye Grant
Nicholas Wright
Arts and Culture: Kadeem Wilson
Christena Williams
Entrepreneurship: Theo Smith
International Achievement: John Powell
Farley Artwell
Gavin Samuels
Kyisha Newman
Leadership: Tijani Christian
Amorkard Brown
Sports: Martin Manley
Javon Francis
Yvonne Foster
Yanique Thompson
Thristina Harwood
Youth in Service: Seidg Rowe
Lamar Rowe
Jamilia Crooks
Kadesha Croney
Terral Christian
Youth Work: National Inter-School Brigade
Youth Organisation for Upliftment
