By Lincoln DePradine
Yolande Jones-Grande was having an impressive profession as a Canadian athlete, profitable medals at house and overseas, till one thing occurred that she thought would have taken her out of monitor and discipline ceaselessly.
Nevertheless, she was in a position to return to athletics; not as an lively sportswoman however as a coach. Now, Jones-Grande is without doubt one of the 2023 recipients of the Petro-Canada Teaching Excellence Award.
“Receiving this award is a nod in the direction of all of the years I’ve spent teaching to this point, particularly with the shortage of feminine coaches we’ve got in monitor and discipline in Canada,’’ Jones-Grande instructed The Caribbean Digicam.
Jones-Grande, who was born in St Vincent, credit her mom’s assist for her monitor success, and remembers after they moved from Hamilton to Oshawa. It was 1980. Jones-Grande was enrolled in Grade 7 – though it was midway by means of the varsity yr – and he or she started working the 800-meter hurdles.
“I joined the monitor group to slot in and make some associates. Midway by means of the yr, the youngsters have already made associates and you’re the unusual new particular person in a predominantly white faculty,’’ Jones-Grande stated.
“When the instructor requested who needed to do the hurdles, I needed to do the hurdles as a result of solely the boys had been doing them; and I had somewhat aggressive streak in me, after rising up in St Vincent & the Grenadines with all boys’’.
Jones-Grande admits she was “superb’’ at hurdles. She excelled and, inside two years, she was a Canadian group member within the 100M hurdles.
She remained on the group for 12 years, capturing nationwide junior and senior medals within the hurdles and within the 100M and 200M at championships of the Ontario Federation of Faculty Athletic Associations (OFSAA).
In 1984, the Junior Pan American Video games had been held within the Bahamas. Jones-Grande was a Canada group member.
“I got here house with a silver medal. This clearly ignited a ardour to win extra championships and make extra nationwide groups, so I can journey all over the world,’’ stated Jones-Grande.
“My mother, a single mom on the time, labored arduous and did many journeys driving me to and from Toronto Worldwide airport. With out her, I wouldn’t have accomplished as a lot or had the power to see many international locations all over the world as I’ve.’’
Jones-Grande’s travels included participation within the Commonwealth Video games in Scotland, in addition to at worldwide occasions in Yugoslavia and Morocco.
She moved into teaching, on a volunteer foundation, in 2000 with St Paul’s Catholic Highschool Ottawa. Jones-Grande additionally has had volunteer teaching stints with the Ottawa Lions.
Within the mid-Nineties, Jones-Grande’s life took an sudden and unlucky twist. “I used to be concerned in a really dangerous automobile accident in 1994 which prematurely ended my monitor profession. I went by means of a number of years of melancholy,’’ she recalled.
“For some time, I didn’t need something to do with monitor and discipline till 2001, when a good friend at a highschool requested if I needed to educate the group. As quickly as I began, my love for monitor got here again.’’
Jones-Grande identifies Leewinchell Jean, who was a highschool senior in 2019, as her first teaching success.
“He received the OFSAA male 400M hurdles after which made his first Canadian nationwide group, the Pan Am U20 group, to compete in Costa Rica. Just a few weeks later, he returned house to take the Canadian Nationwide U20 Championships within the 400M hurdles,’’ stated Jones-Grande.
“My subsequent championship athlete was Timeo Atonfo who, in Grade 9 in 2022, received OFSAA medals within the lengthy soar and 100M and 300M hurdles. Then, in 2023 in Grade 10, once more received OFSAA medals within the lengthy soar, 100M hurdles and triple soar; plus, nationwide youth medalist within the triple soar on the Legion Nationwide Championship.’’
The Petro-Canada Teaching Excellence Awards, that are backed by the Teaching Affiliation of Canada, “acknowledge coaches whose athletes have excelled at world championships, Olympic and Paralympic Video games, and on the Particular Olympics World Video games. The Teaching Affiliation of Canada and Petro-Canada honour these recipients earlier than their friends on the annual Petro-Canada Sport Management Awards Gala. Recipients of the Petro-Canada Teaching Excellence Award are a few of Canada’s most excellent nationwide group coaches. These coaches have devoted their time and efforts to making sure that athletes attain their potential on the worldwide stage’’.
