Senate honours late coach Stephen Francis in special tributes

Parliament’s Upper House on Friday honoured the late track and field coach Stephen Francis, who passed away last week.

Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, opened the tributes. He recalled that Francis walked away from a finance career in which his skills were in strong demand, “daring to change the face of track and field in Jamaica and across the world.”

Fitz-Henley pointed to Francis’s co-founding of the Maximising Velocity and Power Track & Field Club, better known as MVP, and praised the club’s influence.

“As we in the Parliament pause to pay tribute to the work of a great Jamaican. there is no doubt that the club founded by Stephen Francis and his associates, has galvanised Jamaica’s sprinting dominance across the globe. MVP members have achieved a remarkable tally across the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Indoor Championships,” Fitz-Henley commented.

He restated that, under Francis’s leadership, the club has delivered more than 110 medals for Jamaica at major world meets, among them over 37 Olympic medals and 75 World Championship medals.

“We hail Stephen Francis’ work which has transformed how Jamaica is viewed whenever a major track and field competition beckons. But for me Sir, Stephen Francis’ greatest contributions may be contemplated in a dual manner. Firstly, the countless lives he transformed. His ability to take people who were not regarded as ‘Champs stars’, but seen as average talent or people who were unknown and nurture them into world beaters and superstars on the global stage,” Senator Fitz-Henley said.

The minister also underlined Francis’s part in the rise of standout athletes such as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell, Shericka Jackson and Brigette-Foster Hylton.

“None of what I alluded to just now would have likely been possible without guidance of Stephen Francis, who was one of a kind. For me, his greatest contributions to Jamaica, how his work, his unique expertise and his dedication to seeing his mentees being the best they can be, was able to consistently lift the Jamaican psyche and bring an outpouring of happiness to a nation, which from time to time encounters sombre moments,” Fitz-Henley said.

Opposition Senator Lambert Brown likewise saluted Francis, citing his coaching of former world record holder Asafa Powell, hurdler Melanie Walker, and Elaine Thompson Herah, the fastest woman over 100 metres.

“He was a genius. He was the world’s greatest track and field coach of all times. He was also brilliant at academia. He dominated the Schools Challenge Quiz competition. He was two degrees but the enigma choose track and field and turns his hobby into a business venture,” Senator Brown commented.

Government Senator and leading attorney-at-law Christian Tavares-Finson praised Francis’s dedication to building Jamaica’s young people.

“Indeed, many of his greatest accomplishments occurred quietly, away from television cameras and newspaper headlines. While others celebrated victory, he was already preparing for tomorrow’s challenge. While others admired success, he remained focused on continuous improvement. That relentless pursuit of excellence became his signature. It is perhaps fitting that a man who dedicated his life to developing others rarely sought personal acclaim,” Senator Tavares-Finson commented.