Amid the frenzied celebrations in Waterhouse that greeted Shelly-Ann Fraser's Olympic gold medal run in the Women's 100m in China yesterday, her mother, Maxine Simpson, gave meaning to the popular saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child'.

In fact, in Simpson's case, the more appropriate term would be 'It takes a village to raise an Olympic champion'.

Maxine Simpson (2nd left), Shelly-Ann Fraser's mother, celebrate her daughter's Olympic 100m victory with family and friends yesterday at her home in Waterhouse. (Photos: Joseph Wellington)

"I want to big up coach Michael Carr and Mrs Montague," Simpson stressed, highlighting the input of the Wolmer's Girls School coach and the principal, who she said put their faith behind Fraser throughout her school career.

Simpson didn't want to leave out anyone: "And I must big up Mr 'Oney', the driver, who would come and take her to school when the rain was falling."

Throngs of community folk, some with umbrellas, the others oblivious to the showers being dumped on the island by Tropical Storm Fay, gathered outside the Penwood Church near Simpson's Ashoka Road house in the troubled inner-city community where Fraser grew up.

Fraser stunned the world when she clocked 10.78 seconds to beat teammates Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart to win the Women's 100m gold at the 2008 Olympics Games.

The trio, however, created Olympic history by giving Jamaica the first ever sweep of the event.

Inside the church, Maxine Simpson prayed the prayer of a grateful woman who had struggled to raise her three children, mostly on her own, but sometimes with the help of her brother Kirk, sister Marcia, and mother Elizabeth.

"God must get the glory," Simpson said.

"I didn't feel bad when people were saying she shouldn't run," she added, recalling the debates that raged about whether or not World Champion Veronica Campbell-Brown should be allowed to run despite not qualifying in the 100m at national trials.

"I just said let God do His thing because I know she is not the one who would have to come out, and now I see it," she said.
Simpson, 42, said she was an athlete herself, competing in the 100m, 200m and long jump while a student at Papine Junior High School, but got stopped in her tracks after becoming pregnant with her eldest child, Omar, now 23.

Residents clanged pot covers and knocked pans in celebration at the moment Fraser blazed past the finish line in first position.

"I cried, I don't know how to explain, and the whole community... I've never seen this crowd before," Kirk, her uncle, said in amazement at the response to the victory.
Carr, in the meantime, was cool in his acceptance of Maxine Simpson's gratitude.

"Coming from so far back, and she knows what we have done in terms of Wolmer's, and we are happy that she recognised the help that we gave. I am so elated that it is unbelievable," he said.

He noted that this was the 40th anniversary of the year that Audrey Reid, Wolmer's' first and only Olympian until now, entered the school in 1968. Reid competed in the long jump at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and was honoured by the school this year for her achievements.

"I am quite happy, and when I saw Shelly-Ann smiling before the race I knew it was good because it showed that she was ready," he said.

Meanwhile, Montague, a Wolmer's past student herself, recalled the days when Fraser was doing her CXC Examinations and the school, in an effort to help her focus, moved her from her home.

"From day one she was unfocussed, and it took a community effort to just get her together and get it maximised, but when you see the potential and see it realised...it was just awesome," Montague said.

She said the feeling she had after Fraser's win superseded her previous high point when she won the Class two 100m at Girls Championships and that it was the fulfilment of the Wolmer's School motto 'Age Quod Agis'.

"Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability...that is what drives our effort," Montague said.

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World