A few days from the start of this year’s Olympic Games in London, Digicel, proud sponsors of the Jamaica Olympic team and sponsor of Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, recently spoke to the champion about food, training, her idols and her preparations for the start of the Olympics.

When asked about staying connected and grounded, Fraser-Pryce says being away from home and family has its challenges, nevertheless, she thanks God every day for her blessings, which include her husband Jason Pryce, with whom she stays connected to using her Digicel 4G Mobile phone.

In between training and perfecting her sprint technique, the Beijing 100m gold medallist says she hopes to visit Buckingham Palace while she is in London and satisfies her hunger with some authentic Jamaican food. Her favourite dish — curried chicken seasoned with Grace Foods’ Jamaican herbs and spices, — is a regular staple in her diet that keeps her energised.

On the subject of training and the competition, she says: “At this stage of the athletics season, it is not about intensity, it is now more about fine-tuning and getting everything right; I do not have a number one competitor, all ladies who earn a lane in the final are worthy competitors.”

In terms of Jamaican Olympians who inspire her, she immediately references Merlene Ottey, the 51-year-old Jamaican sprinter, who, in her 30-year career, amassed 34 medals in all major competitions, has made the most Olympic appearances of any track and field athlete in the history of the Games. Fraser-Pryce admires Ottey’s determination over the years as she has been “holding it down for a long time” for female Jamaican sprinters.

Since 2008, Digicel has been a proud sponsor of Fraser-Pryce, the reigning women’s 100m Olympic champion. She recently broke Jamaica’s national record to win the women’s 100m final at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures Limited (JAAA/SVL) National Senior Championships. At this year’s Olympic Games, she is set to face the likes of American sprinter, the reigning women’s 100m World champion, Carmelita Jetter, her fellow teammates, women’s 200m Olympic Gold medallist and 100m silver medallist, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart, respectively, as well as Nigeria’s fastest woman, Blessing Okagbare.

To date, Fraser-Pryce has won eight medals in her 10-year athletics career at both the Youth and World Championships, being one of only two female sprinters to hold both the World and Olympic 100m titles simultaneously.