Thursday, September 3, 2009

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The Bahamas loses an Olympian By SHELDON LONGLEY ~ NG Sports Editor ~ slongley@nasguard.com: Yet another Bahamian sporting luminary has died. Gerald 'Jerry' Lloyd Wisdom, one of the few Bahamian Olympians, passed away on Saturday at the Princess Margaret Hospital. He was 61. "A real good brother and a wonderful man," as described by younger brother and former Minister of Sports Neville Wisdom, Gerald Wisdom certainly left his mark in local track and field as an athlete, coach and mentor. 'Jerry', as he was affectionately called by peers and family members, didn't advance out of the qualifying round of the men's long jump at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico, but he can lay claim to fame as being the only Bahamian to be in the actual competition in which one of the longest standing world records in track and field history was established. His teammate at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), American Bob Beamon, soared to a gold medal winning leap of 8.90 meters (29' 2-1/2") in those 1968 Olympics, a world record that stood for 23 years until American Mike Powell broke it in 1991. Wisdom was the only Bahamian to compete in that long jump event, turning in a best jump of 6.99m (22' 11-1/4") in the qualifying round. "There they were, two college teammates and one of them just had the big jump that day," said Neville Wisdom. "He (Jerry) was an outstanding long jumper and sprinter and after his athletic days, we worked together to coach and mentor athletes with the Bain Town Flyers. Jerry was an integral and very important part of that whole effort." 'Jerry' Wisdom also represented the country at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. Teammate on that 1970 Commonwealth Games team, Mike Sands, recalled 'Jerry' Wisdom as "an inspiring performer and a genuine human being." "Jerry was a personal friend of mine and I am very saddened by his death," said the former Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations' President. "Like Tommy Robinson, Jerry was one of the reasons why I got involved with track and field. He helped countless athletes financially and through giving advice. Personally, in high school and even in my college days when I wanted to come home and didn't have the funds to do it, I could always call on Jerry as a 'big brother' and he made it possible and never looked for anything in return. He was always offering very good, strong advice. He was so focussed on getting an athlete to be the best that he or she could be. I am really going to miss him and his words of wisdom." Like younger brother Neville, 'Jerry' was probably more noted as a coach and mentor - having a helping hand in hundreds of Bahamian youngsters going off to colleges in the United States, and indirectly assisting with the athletic careers of five Bahamian Olympic medalists. One of those medalists, the first for The Bahamas in track and field Frank Rutherford, termed 'Jerry' Wisdom as a mentor, a 'big brother', and a personal friend. "We should never question God's plan - I know that he has gone on to a better place. He and I were very close. He definitely was a positive mentor in my life and definitely one of my better friends. He was somebody with a great athletic mind. Personally, it's sad to me because our country didn't get more out of people like Jerry Wisdom - he had so much to offer," said Rutherford. "When we lose people like this, it takes away from the quality of life for young men. My friend was a person who had a lot more that he could have contributed. "We shared so many great times together. One of my fondest memories was a day when he grabbed me as a young athlete in college, and made me understand what it took to be a world class athlete. He talked about the focus you need as an athlete and how to visualize what you need to do in competition. He took me through an exercise of Yoga - laying back and being relaxed and actually seeing what you was about to do. That is just one of the those important things that he contributed to me and my career," added Rutherford. 'Jerry' Wisdom also represented the country as a sprinter in those 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He ran the opening leg of the men's 4x100m in the first round heat, passing off to Bahamian icon Thomas Robinson, who handed off to Bernard Nottage, and then Edwin Johnson on anchor. The team finished fourth in the heat, qualifying for the semi-finals in a time of 39.40 seconds. However, the team was disqualified in the semi-finals. "Jerry was an outstanding athlete, in high school, in college and at the Olympic level," said younger brother Neville. "He was the most knowledgeable track and field personality I knew, and I often looked to him for advice and information, and he was always forthcoming. I always looked at him as a sporting icon who did not receive the level of recognition that he deserved. He was a walking track and field encyclopedia. I think that as time passed, people began to appreciate the contribution that Jerry gave to The Bahamas in the area of sports, and in other areas of private and public life." 'Jerry' Wisdom, a life-long member of the athletic fraternity here in The Bahamas, was a mentor, coach and executive of the Bain Town Flyers Track Club. He also served as an executive of the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association. He is survived by his wife Linda, one son Jason, a daughter-in-law Janua, two grand children Raquel and Joshua, three brothers Neville, Keith and Evon, three sisters-in-law Manita, Sonya and Yudenia, three step children Owen, Danielle and Robin, and a host of other relatives and friends. "We trust God in everything that He do, and we are prepared to move forward," said Neville Wisdom. "The Bain Town Flyers was a fraternity that was geared toward helping disadvantaged young people to achieve greatness in track and field and in sports, and Jerry was a big part of that. I believe that the entire athletic fraternity will miss him," he added. 'Jerry' Wisdom was a life-long supporter of the Progressive Liberal Party, achieving the distinction of Stalwart Councilor. He was also a respected businessman, and will long be remembered for his pioneering efforts in banking, becoming the country's first Bahamian Bank Manager of African descent, with his position at Chase Manhattan Bank in Rock Sound, Eleuthera in the early 1970s. Gerald 'Jerry' Wisdom entered this world October 28, 1947, and departed August 8, 2009. May his soul rest in peace! Tuesday, August 11, 2009,