Last Sunday (August 31), was ‘La Woz Day’, when Saint Lucians celebrate one of the island’s two annual cultural festivals honouring two Flower Societies rooted in local resistance to enslavement – saw many citizens flock to local churches to celebrate a tradition most grew-up knowing and loving, but admittedly not-fully-understanding.
Sunday was also one day before the annual August 31 observance of the United Nations (UN) International Day for People of African Descent (IDPAD), declared by Marcus Garvey at Madison Square Garden, New York, in 1920, but only formally established by the UN in 2022.
The day also preceded the second year-to-day of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent (2025-34) also observed on August 31, to give a second chance for the world to honour and pay due respect their historical and continuing contributions to Humanity and Civilization.
Sunday was one day before Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre’s weekly press conference, when it was largely expected he’d be asked about the island’s most-talked-about political topic involving a Cabinet Minister.
It was the last Sunday before school reopened for the 2026-27 academic year on September 2, with parents, teachers and students readying for the return to schools and classrooms after the hottest summer holidays ever.
It was also a day marred by the predictable unpredictability of Tropical Storm Dolly, the name given by meteorologists to storms they can never read accurately – the fourth of late, the arrival of which also coincided with the departure by quiet death of the philanthropic American Country & Western music superstar, Dolly Parton.
But even with all the attention to all the above, one young man from Babonneau – supported 100%-plus by family and friends — had his and their minds on something else and totally-different: a 36-hour round-the-island marathon.
Johnathan Arthur Florenville is a super-tough local athlete with eyes on the biggest challenges the very-few like him anywhere on Planet Earth would even think of – like trekking the world by track, no matter where, in pursuit of overcoming what most would find too-hard to even contemplate.
Like, walking up Mount Everest!
Taking the walking route instead of running, the young Saint Lucian marathoner’s Everest-high concentration on and ambition for his goal is pumped by his equal determination to take any such task head-on, on any terrain – flat or narrow, over distances known and unknown — but not hugging the easy route of being only a road runner.
The 30-year-old looks the part: more muscular than most in-the-running in his line of running, walking a body matching his sizeable and distant goal and likely to leave the average observer thinking he might be a boxer.
Or a wrestler.
Or a wannabe TFC fighter hoping to feature in a White House Lawn fight at some point before Donald Trump goes wherever.
Planning ahead, Jordan set August 30 for his date with his homeland destiny – doing an ‘Iyanola 100’: walking around Saint Lucia in 36 hours.
Confident in the surety of the adrenalin that drives him and his readiness to take on the Everest challenge by showing just what he can do, he opted to start at home and build the support he’ll need for that mountainous challenge.
No, he didn’t decide to walk up-and-down the island’s two best-known mountainous Twin Peaks — the Gros Piton and Petit Piton — and set a record that would take endless time to beat.
Nor did he decide to walk a million steps, non-stop; or walk from Gros Islet to Cul De Sac – and back — in some unimaginable time.
Instead, he’d walk blindly into an adventure into the unknown: setting a time for a race with himself, without a set route, or exact distance.
Like sailing the calmest section of the River Jordan, the daring young Lucian set out to set himself off from Pointe du Cap in Gros Islet to Moule-a-Chique in Vieux Fort – the northernmost and southernmost points of his 238-square-mile (616 km) Caribbean-island home — at 7:30am.
Before hitting the road, Jordan displayed a sculpted brown-polished wooden torch, with a map of Africa atop, saying his ambitious goal is not just for himself, “but for Saint Lucia – and Saint Lucians.”
He said too that his local feat was on behalf of all Saint Lucians and people of all races and complexions, as represented by his online and offline supporters.
In that vein, he dedicated his walk “as part of the Emancipation Month observances.”
And off he went!
Accompanied by none but the few who could last a mile in his shoes, including Olympian long-distance athlete Zephrinus Joseph and friends Clendon Donai and Philan James and his parents and family taking individual turns riding and helping-along in similar zeal and zest, with countless fans following online from start to finish, Jordan’s documentary feat featured drone coverage and 24-hour timing, filming and tracking, as he trekked an early track to his ultimate dream.
True to everything he said he would, the completed the gruelling trek one-hour-less than his time set, clocking 176 miles on his accurate fitness clock.
But this was no walk in the park…
At one point while approaching Soufriere, though, he told an inquiring friend “I’m hurting, but I’m happy!”
Jordan completed his local task in his own set record time (unlikely to soon be broken), but being the first Saint Lucian to walk up Everest’s mount remains the determined objective of his ultimate climb.
Florenville walked with the good tidings and blessings of the Saint Lucia National Reparations Committee (NRC), among the few willing backers of his determined ambition to encourage young Saint Lucians to see a life beyond the horizon and set achievable goals.
All they need is support — and Jordan is planning a fundraising drive to walk his way to fame and glory for Saint Lucia, while pointing peers to possible new paths of pursuit more-worthy than the distractions that attract and distract too-many.