Goulbourne inducted into Penn Relays’ Wall of Fame

Saturday marked a special moment for former Jamaican long jump specialist Elva Goulbourne, on the final day of competition at the 130th staging of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

Goulbourne, the former Dinthill Technical and Auburn University athlete, became the latest Jamaican to be inducted into the Wall of Fame for her long jump heroics. On the same day, the Jamaica College 4x800m winning high school Penn Relays team was also inducted.

Goulbourne is still the record holder at Penn Relays in the high school category, after her 6.40m effort for Dinthill in 1999. Four years later, while representing Auburn, she also put her name in the record books at the collegiate level with a distance of 6.65m, winning back-to-back titles.

In the process, she became the first female athlete from Auburn to win an individual title at Penn Relays.

One of few athletes to win Penn Relays titles at both high school and collegiate levels, Goulbourne, who is also the national record holder in the event - both indoors and outdoors with marks of 6.86m and 7.16m - spoke with STAR Sports after receiving her award.

"It is a great, great pleasure getting this award, as I wasn't expecting this. After over 26 years, I wasn't thinking about it until I got a call, and it is just an awesome feeling," she said.

She spoke about her journey in the event.

"Being a little skinny girl from the country, competing for a non-traditional track and field high school, and coming up against some bigger-sized athletes at Penns in 1999, I was very determined to do my best, and that was what mattered, to come out with the win," she said.

Goulbourne, who won gold in the event at the Commonwealth Games in 2002, had some advice for upcoming athletes.

"The main thing is to stay focused, and once you are determined to do well, you will achieve your goal, and remember to put God first," concluded Goulbourne, who represented Jamaica at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.