FINALLY.
At Government House yesterday, Bernard Ian Sealy received the national honour he so richly deserved after several years of stellar performances on the international bodybuilding stage.
Sealy, 64, a product of Danesbury, Black Rock, was delighted to receive his Barbados Service Medal (BSM) from Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.
“The feeling is great. This is a proud moment for me. It is nice to be finally recognised,” said the 1989 world champion.
His sister Marlene, niece Peggy, and long-time friend Andy Forde, a former Barbados and Caribbean lightweight champion, were on hand for the ceremony.
The last of ten children born to the late Rufus and Vigomay Sealy, the former Barbados and Caribbean middleweight champion was a trailblazer for this country alongside Darcy Beckles and Loftus Roach. The trio represented Barbados with great distinction at the 1976, 1977 and 1978 Mr Universe contests, with Patrick “Boogie” Nicholls joining them for the global event in 1979.
The United States-based Sealy got the chance at the 1988 World Championships in Australia and showed his worth with a bronze medal. The following year in Paris, France, he turned bronze into historic gold.
Sealy is due to return to Brooklyn, New York, his adopted home, on Saturday. He is expected to return to Barbados in April. (MK)
