Everybody happy! - August Town proud of golden boy Tajay Gayle

As a youngster, Tajay Gayle used to practise his jumping skills by lining up younger children in his yard and leaping over them.

"Tajay has always been athletic. His mother would say he's mischievous, but it's not mischievous. I think that he's always trying to explore his options," his cousin, Dahima Cousins Henriques, said.

"He used to line up the children and jump ova dem head and you know persons would refer to him as being rude, but in truth and in fact, he was practising for what he would have achieved," she said.

Gayle last Saturday became the first Jamaican to jump to gold in the 2019 World Athletics Championships. It was a performance that not only started Jamaica's gold rush in Doha, Qatar, but it brought a sense of pride to the tough inner-city community of August Town in St Andrew.

"Growing up in August Town is a challenge for anyone using the Kingston 7 address, as you know, it's associated with crime and violence. But he wasn't a child who was let go on the road. He's always in his yard. Everybody has their challenges growing up in August Town, but I think it has caused him to push more, knowing that he comes from this community and wants to make something positive of himself and inspire di yutes," Henriques said.

Nanoney Linton, Tajay's mother, was not at home when THE STAR visited. However, contacted by telephone, she said words cannot explain her joy.

"Me very happy. When me tell you seh me happy, me very, very, very happy! Everybody happy! Di hol community happy. Every weh me walk a bare congratulations me a get. Me know him train hard enuh, but me neva expect it. Him tell me seh him did a go do it, but me neva expect it. Me very proud a me son man!"

Roland Hill lives in the same yard where Gayle grew up.

"Is jus a cool yute...Muffy a him nickname and dem call him 'One Don' up a UTech. Brite yute when him a guh school... Yuh know dem yute deh weh nuh give trouble? Him gah school, come home and gah him yard. Is a yute weh did always a pree di long jump thing, a nuh like a something weh him get up and jus do. Him very shy...yuh nah go really get no words outa him neither. Him shy like him mada," he said laughing.

David Harrison, who, like Gayle, is a resident of the Vietnam section of the community, had nothing but praises for the young star.

"Him was a good potential yute enuh. I loved to see him study and go to school. When I see him pon the TV, I feel so proud. Di hol community proud a him. Him born and grow inna di area...everybody feel good and feel proud how him win. Him lift up him head and reach fi something," the resident said.