WHITSTANLEY SMITH has experienced a lot over the years. He possessed a love and passion for cycling that took him to the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Though he didn’t medal in those Games, he cherishes the memories of participating at the highest level in a sport that he loved.
“It was amazing just being part of it, knowing that you’ve represented your country, and being among the best in the world was incredible,” he said.
As Whitstanley sat down with EASY magazine recently, now that he’s on the verge of retirement after spending 41 years at the National Petroleum Corporation, one could tell that he is a man made rich by the memories that he accumulated along the way.
“I remember when the company was in Bay Street back in 1971, where it was just a small office,” he recalled. “Then in 1981 the company moved to Wildey.
“I remember when I first joined the corporation there were people there doing 14 or 20 years. I remember saying ‘How can you work one place so long, going the same place every day?’ But now I’ve doubled that.”
As he changed geographical locations with the company, he also rose within its ranks, becoming a seasoned and respected supervisor.
“It doesn’t even feel like 41 years,” he said.
But now that he’s stepping away from the world of work to a more leisurely existence, he is eager to reminisce about his life.
Like lots of people at retirement age, Whitstanley had gone through his share of major life events. He’s been married, widowed, raised a son, Dwayne Smith, and built a relatively stable life for himself.
But cycling had always been something he gravitated to since his early days as a youngster growing up in Bush Hall. It’s something that he still does even now, though he says the demands of work limit the amount of time he spends riding.
However, he does cherish those memorable moments on the track. Whitstanley started competing at age 15 to age 50.
“I won the first official cycling race at the [National Stadium] in 1970, just after it was opened by Prince Charles,” he recalled.
But one person who was instrumental in his development as a cyclist was his mother, who is now 94 and whom he cares for.
“She never missed a cycling meet whether it was in St Lucy or St Philip, whether it was starting at five or six in the morning,” he said. “My mum was always there. She was just there to support me but other members of the club, because I was in charge of one of the biggest cycling clubs.”
Whitstanley’s memories are a treasure trove of history. Although he cherishes his time in the sport, he does wish more had been done for the sport.
“I’m sorry for the way cycling has gone. I think it could have been better organized,” he said. “This year is an Olympic year, and Barbados doesn’t have any cyclists to send because they would have put all their eggs in one basket. They were concentrating on Barry Forde for the last ten years, and it doesn’t seem like they were looking at developing other talent. Now they have other talent there but they’re not up to speed. Qualifying for the Olympics is not like it was before.”
While Whitstanley feels the sport should have grown, he understands the limitations that small countries face, but he is concerned about the interest in the sport.
“Even when I go to the Stadium on Sundays riding I see more masters riding than juniors,” he said. Cycling is very expensive as well. The only way it can help is if some of the duties are taken off of sporting goods. A bicycle costs $2 000 to $3 000.”
He is also grateful to his workplace for allowing him to train and go on training stints for cycling.
“I feel the companies that support sports should be rewarded,” he said.
With retirement looming, Whitstanley has no plans to put his bikes away.
“I’m still planning to cycle just to keep fit,” he says.
