Ellington pleased with weightlifting switch

Former Wolmer's Boys School thrower Soneil Ellington has been praised as one of the main influences in the formation of the Jamaican Weightlifting Federation (JWF).

The official launch of the federation took place at the Jamaica Olympic Association headquarters in Kingston last Tuesday. Ellington prides himself as a naturally fit athlete, having competed in the shot put, javelin and discus throws. But his motivation towards weightlifting was encouraged by fellow Wolmerian and national hurdler Jaheel Hyde.

"One day, I remember my good friend Jaheel Hyde. He sat me down and said, you are talented, you can do it, so go focus on it," Ellington said. "When I was at Wolmer's, I knew I wanted to compete at the Olympics. And I knew I was strong, so I went and I YouTubed it and I saw that there was Olympic weightlifting and from there I never turned back."

When JWF president Mark Bloomfield was looking for opportunities to establish a local federation, he was introduced to the 22-year-old.

Persistence

"I met Ellington who was lifting, who was passionate, who wanted to represent Jamaica but there wasn't a space," Bloomfield said.

Bloomfield credits Ellington's persistence in finalising the association after three years of hard work.

"He didn't give me a chance to rest," he said. "He was WhatsApping me and messaging me every week asking what's happening. The passion of the young man and the fact that he wanted to see it is something that even in those days when I thought it was so hard, his passion and his constant reminding pushed us to continue."

Ellington believes that the launch creates the platform necessary for competitors like him locally and in the diaspora to compete in yet another sporting avenue for Jamaica.

"We have been working a very long time to have this day," Ellington said. "This allows us now to go ahead and represent the country in very big ways. We are filled with potential, we are excited, and we are hungry for medals."

While he is excited for the opportunity to display his skills in competition, he is aware that he has a responsibility for setting an example for future athletes who are interested in following the same path.

"I like to think of it as setting the foundation for the younger generation to come up so that a lot of other youngsters can have the opportunity to express themselves in another sport form," he said.