A million-dollar award was the highlight of the gifts bestowed upon Julien “Juju” Alfred in recognition of her achievements at this year’s Paris Olympic Games.
Prime Minister Philip J Pierre announced the awards during the Julien Alfred Day celebrations, held on September 27 (last Friday) in honor of the island’s esteemed ‘Sprint Queen’. The event saw massive support from the local populace, who turned out in large numbers to cheer Alfred as she received various tokens of appreciations. The National Concert featured Saint Lucia’s top performing artists, showcasing their talents through song, prose, dance, and drama to complement the theatrics on stage.
A parade led by a segment of the Royal St Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) Band, including junior athletes, carnival costume revelers, and other selected groups, made its way around the stage before the presentations were made.
“We want to thank Julien Alfred; she is our heroine. She makes us proud, she makes the young people and the people of Saint Lucia proud,” declared PM Pierre, addressing the gathering at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground (DSCG).
The Prime Minister said that Saint Lucia is respected among the nations for winning two Olympic Medal, and “We must appreciate her (Alfred)…because she has put us on the map (globally).”
In addition to the monetary award, PM Pierre disclosed that Alfred would also receive a plot of land, measuring 10,727 square meters, in recognition of her victory – 10.72 seconds to win the Olympic Gold in the 100 meters.
Other notable recognitions included the renaming of the Millennium Highway, from Cul De Sac to the La Toc Roundabout, to the Julien Alfred Highway. A monument will be erected at the Cul De Sac Roundabout in her honor; a stamp will be issued bearing her image, and images of Alfred will be printed on exercise books.
Acknowledging Julien’s accomplishments, MC Natalie Fanis presented her as: “Our Island Treasure, Our Global Ambassador, Our Nation’s Pride, the Inspiration of a Generation, the Embodiment of Strength, Speed, Spirituality, and Substance, Lightning on the Track, A Beacon of Excellence.”
For her part, Alfred, dressed casually in a two-piece jeans outfit, was gracious in her speech, humbly thanking the many people and fans who turned out to support and cheer her on.
Speaking “from the heart”, Alfred declared: “The past few days have been very emotional for me, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve danced, I’ve celebrated with my fellow Saint Lucians…and thank you to the Government of Saint Lucia for putting on an amazing four-day event.”
She was grateful for the corporate support to the Julien Alfred Academy “and supporting the mission to give back to the youth of Saint Lucia.” Julien thanked her sponsors for supporting her journey and helping her get to this point in her career.
She added: “The support that I have received from all of you means a lot to me, it means the world to me …and to Saint Lucia my people, I love all of you and I thank you for the support, for the love you’ve showed me throughout my career, it’s truly motivating.”
The Olympic champion said it was an honour to represent her country, and “As I go on to represent Saint Lucia on the global stage through sports…and now, as the Tourism Ambassador, I want to continue representing Saint Lucia and to make our name known and our country known on the global stage … (and ) let us continue to support our youth , they are the future generation and we can have many more representing us on the global stage.”
Sports Minister Kenson Casimir reiterated, “Julien Alfred has put us on the map and the whole world is looking at Sweet Saint Lucia, right now.” He thanked the corporate sector for their “generosity” in support of Julien and urged the corporate partners to assist the young athletes in their athletic prowess “as we seek to find a next Julien Alfred.”