Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

Throughout life's journey we are constantly reminded that, despite difficulties, individuals can attain the highest.

Special Olympian Monique Brown demonstrated that there is no short cut to glory and regardless of one's circumstances, if you are focused and determined you can achieve greatness.

Sixteen-year-old Brown triumphed over adversity at the recently-concluded 2009 World Special Olympic Winter Games held in Boise, Idaho.

According to her coach, Jacqueline Bennett, Brown fell ill during the tournament but was determined that she still wanted to participate in her speed skating events.

Medals

By the end of the tournament, Brown won three out of the five medals for Jamaica - one silver in the 222m speed skating and two bronze medals in the 100m and 300m speed-skating events.

Another Jamaican speed skater, Richard Hillary, took gold in the men's 200m, while the floor-hockey team also mined gold.

"I think that there is much to commend her for. Despite the fact that she fell ill, she still went out and participated," Bennett said.

Brown, who hails from Lyndhurst Road in Kingston, said she began speed skating when she was 11 years old.

In speed skating, competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates.

The second child of three girls for Elmeda Knight, Brown attended the Faith Tabernacle Basic School and the Melrose Primary and Junior High schools. While at Melrose, it was discovered that she had a reading disability and she was sent to the Mico Practicing School.

A referral was made for her to continue her studies at the Carberry Court Special School where she has been a student for the past two years.

"My teammates and my coaches encouraged me a lot and they always give me a lot of support whenever I am competing," Brown said.

Keep moving

Brown says she likes the sport because it makes her move fast. "You don't have anything else to think about when you're skating, you just have to keep moving," she said.

The youngster says she normally skates with the boys because the girls do not offer the competition for the skills she needs.

Speed skating she says, "promotes sportsmanship and in order to be successful you must have the support of your team-mates and ensure that you are disciplined for the challenge.

"You have to put your mind to it. I practice every Saturday and sometimes during the week at the National Stadium," Brown said.< P> Her coach agrees that she will challenge whatever activity she is given to do.

"Overall, she is a gold medalist. She participated in Shanghai in 2007 and got a gold medal, and this time she got silver and bronze. Perhaps it is because she was not feeling well," Bennett said.

The coach also stated that Brown did exceptionally well last year and was among the top Special Olympic athletes.

"If she sticks with it (speed skating) there is no limit to where she can go," Bennett said.

Her mother stated that when she called her to inform her of her performance she started to cry. She recalled when her daughter told her she would be participating in roller skating that she panicked and thought she was going to lose her.

"She said I should pray for her and I encouraged her to stay focused and that one day she would succeed in it," Knight said.

"I am very proud of her and hope she continues to do well," Knight said. "I felt so good. She told me that she was sick and her coach told her that she was going to pull her out. But she told the coach she still wanted to participate," she said.

Brown believes she will continue to perform well in speed skating, but would also like to participate in football.

"I would like to know more about football and its rules. I like to see the players juggle the ball and when they score," she said.

Favourite subjects

Despite her disability, Brown's favourite subjects are English and religious education. She has dreams of becoming a flight attendant or a lawyer and sees herself traveling to different countries and learning about different cultures.

"I still perform well in school. Sometimes, when I have challenges I face up to these challenges and just do it," she said.

Knight says she gives God thanks that Brown still has the opportunity to have a good education and can someday see her dreams fulfilled.

"I worry for her sometimes because of her reading, but her teachers say she is coming along and she will do well," she said.

Contributed
Members of the Floor Hockey team celebrate after winning their gold medal.