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Clayton driven by her past
October 07, 2019
DOHA, Qatar:
Okeile Stewart, coach of World Championships 400 metres hurdles bronze medal winner Rushell Clayton, believes her humble beginnings and drive to become a reference point for others in her situation, have been a major motivating factor behind her recent success.
Clayton, who hails from the deep rural community of Blauwearie in Westmoreland, clocked a personal best 53.74 seconds to finish third in an extremely exciting contest inside the Khalifa International Stadium, with the gold medal going to USA's Dalilah Muhammad in a world record 52.16 seconds, as another American, Sydney McLaughlin, took the silver in 52.23 seconds.
"I believe Rushell's situation is a little different from a lot of persons. She had shared a lot with me, about her days growing up, her struggles and so forth and I have learnt a lot from her and understand the reason why she pushed the way she has pushed over the years," said Stewart.
"Coming up from very humble background, she wants to lift herself from that ... Just recently, I was able to meet her family for the first time. I see what has given her the drive for her to be where he is right now. I never really understood it until then. She is happy now, we all are and she will do even greater things," Stewart added.
The Jamaican, who has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in her career over the last campaign after finishing seventh in 57.09 at the 2017 National Senior Championships, is herself hoping to inspire ambition and dedication among the country's under-privileged youth, given her own experiences.
"This tells me that with hard work, dedication and perseverance, all things are possible," Clayton told STAR Sports. "Everybody goes through their own personal issues and personal problems and for me to go through so much and come here at my first World Championships and to be going home with a bronze medal, it means and says a lot."
"I am from deep rural Westmoreland where maybe at 16 years old, most females are pregnant. I had the opportunity to go to college, finish college and I am here on the world scene doing great things. So I hope this will send a message to younger women that you don't have to be a regular girl in your community, you can be whatever you want to be, you just have to work hard and put your feet forward," said Clayton.
Clayton became the fourth Jamaican to medal in the women's 400m hurdles at the World Championships.
