You can’t keep a good woman down. Mary Fraser just wouldn’t let her trials and tribulations slow her down. She revealed that she used her recent suspension from school as motivation to turn in another victrix ludorum-winning performance at the PowerAde Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletics Championships.
“I had to show people – teachers and everyone that I know – that I wasn’t going to be put down because I know where I stand,” said the seasoned Daryll Jordan athlete.
“I got three gold medals coming up here and although I got suspended and was injured a little bit I always knew I could come back from all of that and still win.”
Fraser expressed the sentiment a mere month after being forced to miss her own school sports over a contentious ten-day suspension from school.
Apparently, a teacher charged that the well-known student-athlete skipped their class. Fraser denied the claim, explaining she was in the sick bay because she didn’t feel well.
Her father Floyd Fraser later revealed that the year head accepted Mary’s explanation, only for the teacher to take the matter to the principal Stephen Jackman.
And that wasn’t even the biggest hurdle the younger Fraser faced leading up to the championships, as Mary was out for three weeks due to a slight calf injury just 14 days before the start of the meet.
Yet no one could tell Fraser was short of form after she opened the meet by holding off Layla Haynes to win the 3 000 metres and then followed that up with an equally tough victory in the 1 500 metres.
As if that wasn’t enough, she captured the 800 metres after coming fourth in a fast 400 metres final.
“I am excited that I won victrix ludorum but I did this before, so this feels normal because it’s nothing new for me,” said Fraser.
“It was still good to win it but I expected it to be more challenging because I only had two weeks to train before BSSAC and was coming in a little unfit.”
It’s still left to be seen whether Fraser will make this year’s CARIFTA team that will leave for The Bahamas in a couple of weeks.
But she revealed she has no plans of giving up boxing although she intends to eventually take her track and field career overseas.
“I don’t think I am going to choose between the two because I like all two the same way and I think I can balance them both,” reasoned Fraser.
“I’ve been able to be good while doing both, so I don’t see why that can’t continue as I go on.” (JM)
