FORMER WORLD 400-metre champion Bertland Cameron says he is now embracing a fresh chapter in his coaching career, having joined the track and field programme at Jamaica College (JC), where he will work primarily with the school’s quarter-milers.
Cameron, who spent more than 15 years at his alma mater St Jago, said the decision to move was not easy, but one he felt was necessary at this stage in his life.
“St Jago has been good to me. I mean it is my alma mater and I have been there for a while now. I start, stopped and came back and I am very grateful,” Cameron said.
“But right now, the way the system is operating I just can’t be a part of that. I mean, I have not been pushed out or anything like that, I just needed a change,” he said.
Cameron added that proximity to home and the opportunity to work in a more specialised role also factored into his move to join the Old Hope Road-based school.
“I live in Kingston and I am not getting any younger, and I reached out to coach Dwayne Johnson and I told him that I would like to come. With open arms he accepted me and I am just moving on with a different chapter in my life,” he stated.
“I want to be closer to home but it was not an easy decision. I am still missing my home, meaning St Jago but this is something that I decided that I want to do. So I am there now as a member of the coaching staff at Jamaica College,” he said.
At JC, Cameron noted that he will focus on developing the school’s 400m athletes while also assisting in the sprints programme alongside coach Corey Bennett.
“You know that I am a quarter-miler and so will be working with the quarter-milers plus the sprints. I will be working alongside coach Corey Bennett, but I will be more specialising with the quarter-milers,” he said. “This is a good fit for me because I am not a head coach, I am just a specialist coach and I will work with the programme the best way I know how. I am bringing a positive outlook and so I am looking forward to it.”
Ian Forbes, manager of the JC track and field team, said the institution is delighted to have Cameron on board.
“Bert is a very distinguished coach and he was an elite athlete and a former world champion, who is a qualified coach and so I think he will add a lot of value to the programme as he makes his move over to Jamaica College.
“I think he is a good asset and he can only help to enhance our programme and so we are happy to have him on board,” Forbes pointed out.
