Hasely Crawford and Janelle Penny Commissiong - Essay Example

Hasely Crawford and Janelle Penny Commissiong Biography and Achievements of Hasely Crawford Hasely Joachim Crawford (born August 16, 1950) is an athlete from Trinidad and Tobago. In 1976, he became the first Olympic champion of his country. Born in San Fernando, Trinidad, Crawford started with athletics at age 17. He debuted internationally in 1970, winning a bronze medal in the 100 m at the Commonwealth Games. In 1972, Hasely shocked the Athletic World by making the final eight in the 100 metres Olympic Final in Munich, West Germany. Injury however, prevented him from winning a Medal for his country there as he could only take a few steps and pull up lame in the final. In 1975 he won this countrys lone medal Silver in the 100 metres at the Pan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico. The following year history was created when he won Trinidad and Tobagos first Gold Medal in the 100 metres at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada. [Regis, 1999] In 1975, Crawford was added to the team of American coach Bob Parks, who prepared Crawford excellently for the 100 m and 200 m events at the Montreal Olympics, running only a few races during the season. The tactics paid off, as Crawford won the 100 m, narrowly in front of Don Quarrie of Jamaica, winning Trinidad and Tobagos first Olympic gold medal. He had also qualified for the 200 m final, but pulled out due to an injury. Hasely Crawford´s last success was a bronze medal in the 1978 Commonwealth Games (100 m). He did also participate in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, the most participations for an Olympian of Trinidad and Tobago but didnt reach to a final again. In the year 2000 he was named the Trinidad & Tobago Athlete of the Millennium.Crawford is a national hero in his home country, Crawford has appeared on postage stamps and has an airplane and a sports stadium named after him. Hasely Crawford’s Contribution Hasely Crawford’s remarkable achievement are not only restricted to his sports field but also as a person who contributed a lot to his society and people through his social work. His social work as the Head Community Relation at National Gas Company at Trinidad and Tobago is outstanding. He has done a great job in maintaining relationships from different institutions and invested a great deal to enhance the cohesive work environment. [Bow on World Stage Can Put Marvin with His Nations Greats, 2006] Crawford was specially invited to attend the Athens Games by the World Olympians Association, a body of which he is the Trinidad and Tobago president. Crawford’s contribution as an athlete is quite worthy in a sense that Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee appointed him as their Ambassador for the Olympics in Athens. He had done a long way, strived really hard in order to identify himself all over the world despite of the entire struggle against racism and anti-Semitism. Though he came across many ups and downs during his entire sports career because of injuries, which are usually a part of every sportsman’s career. It portrays the life of an ambitious, unscrupulous and true legend that has not only made his marks for his own life but also left his impact on others. In his country people greatly respect their Olympic Hero. People greatly respect and admire him for his contribution. He has given the status of a real National Hero in his homeland. Come out of poverty from poor social backgrounds helps him to get out of the hard life filled with courage and more anticipation. That hardship has brought into him the strength, which helped him to be a role model not only for his country people but also to everyone all over the world. Janelle Penny Commissiong Biography and Achievements Janelle Penny Commissiong was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad to a Trinidadian father and Venezuelan mother. She migrated with her family to New York at the age of 13. After graduating high school Janelle attended the Fashion Institute of Technology before returning to Trinidad in 1976. On July 16, 1977 she competed in the Miss Universe beauty pageant held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and made history by becoming the first black winner of the contest. Janelle became only the second Miss Universe to win the Miss Photogenic Award as well. She traveled the World as a goodwill ambassador afterwards, and decided to take a cash prize instead of a contract with Paramount Pictures (one of her Miss Universe prizes). [Janelle Commissiong, 2001] The 24 year-old Caribbean beauty, daughter of a Trinidadian father and a Venezuelan mother declared that she "believed her election would contribute to erasing racial barriers." Proud of her victory, she noted, "Beauty belongs to all people; it has no racial or geographic boundaries. Her ground-breaking achievement, her timeless beauty, her calm and sagacious demeanor, and for women of color all over the world, we are pleased to induct Janelle Penny Commissiong-Chow into the Beauty School Pantheon. Today, Janelle runs the largest boat-building company in the Caribbean and maintains a low profile. However, she is still revered and adored in her twin-island nation and in Beauty Schools heart as well. She has been the head of Bowen Marine in Chaguaramas, Trinidad since 1989 when her husband Brian Bowen, the founder, perished in a tragic auto accident. The Boat manufacturer is one of the most successful in the region and exports boats to the Caribbean, the US and Europe. She has been married to publisher Alwin Chow and they adopted a Daughter, Sasha together. "Penny" as she is fondly called, was awarded Trinidad’s Trinity Cross in 1977 and has had three stamps bearing her likeliness issued in Trinidad and Tobago. A sapodilla-brown gorgeous woman who has been an icon for everyone, particularly young women, many of whom born in that year would be destined to carry the names Janelle or Penny as a tribute to she who came, saw and conquered the world of beauty. What is most interesting is the way Penny remains larger than life itself. And perhaps it is difficult for her to have a normal day as she laments. But thats in essence what defines public life, so it is inescapable. For this reason she will always remain the focus of our attention, even after someone repeats the feat she accomplished, because Janelle is like the quintessential fine wine the linger in the cellar the richer the vintage. [Janelle Commissiong, 2006] This is not so to suggest that she has not had her share of tragedy as we know, but she has emerged a much stronger person, one who has proven her resilience particularly in the male-dominated profession, which she inherited from her former husband. The ability to utilize her business acumen, garnered as a fashion buyer and more so from her one year reign as spokesperson for Miss Universe Inc., has certainly proven itself as a powerful tool in marketing her product aggressively, to such an extent that to the average person, the word boat can only mean a Bowen. Fashion, according to her, is a form of self-expression and one must be careful in selecting. For Penny, solids are perennial as they complement her particular diminutive dimensions. That is why she stayed away from heavily patterned fabric, as they tend to detract from her countenance. Ambassador role of Janelle Penny Commissiong On July 16, 1977 she competed in the Miss Universe beauty pageant making history by becoming the first black woman to ever win the coveted title and was awarded Trinidad’s Trinity Cross later that year. She then traveled the World as a goodwill ambassador. In 1989 she took control of Bowen Marine, one of the most successful boat manufacturers in the Caribbean, after the death of her husband Brian Bowen, the founder. She later remarried Alwin Chow and has had three stamps have been issued in her honor. She traveled the World as a goodwill ambassador after becoming the Miss Universe, and decided to take a cash prize instead of a contract with Paramount Pictures (one of her Miss Universe prizes). She has been the head of Bowen Marine in Chaguaramas, Trinidad since 1989 when her husband Brian Bowen, the founder, perished in a tragic auto accident. The Boat manufacturer is one of the most successful in the region and exports boats to the Caribbean, the US and Europe. She has been married to publisher Alwin Chow and they adopted a Daughter, Sasha together. ‘"Penny" as she is fondly called, was awarded Trinidad’s Trinity Cross in 1977 and has had three stamps bearing her likeliness issued in Trinidad and Tobago. Overview Both above described personalities reflect the true spirit of consistency and hard work in their respective fields. They showed how to strive in order to reach the sky and even sky is not the limit. They have set the examples for their followers that life is not only to live just for one’s own self. Their social contribution shows that despite of having all the fame in their lives, they knew the real meaning and spirit of life. They both deserve the compliments of two real Legends of the Caribbean. Sources Regis, Louis The Political Calypso: True Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago, 1962-1987 University of the West Indies 1999 Author Unknown Bow on World Stage Can Put Marvin with His Nations Greats The Daily Mail (London, England) 21 January 2006 Author Unknown Janelle Commissiong Biography iCarib-Media 2001 Author Unknown Janelle Commissiong From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2006 Word Count: 1,535 Read More