Rainford Wilks takes GibsonMcCook baton and runs with it
FROM competing in the early stagings of the Gibson Relays, as it was known then, to running one of the most prestigious and anticipated track and field meets in the country, now known as the Gibson McCook Relays, Profession Rainford Wilks has run the full gamut of the experience.
The Gibson McCook Relays, which will return to the local track and field calendar this Saturday at National Stadium, has a history of former athletes returning to work there in one capacity or another.
While saying he never harboured thoughts of becoming the chairman of the organising committee, Professor Wilks, who took over from the late founder Neville “Teddy” McCook, has seen to the transformation of the event into the age of technology.
“Overall I feel honoured to serve in this role. I had no ambition or thought of serving these relays prior to receiving a message from Mr McCook via Dr Robert Wan that he wanted me to serve, but it has been a privilege and blessing,” said Wilks.
Saturday’s meet, the first since 2020 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, will start at 1:00 pm with a reduced schedule and will see all events being run as timed finals instead of the usual heats and finals format as previous years.
Professor Wilks had no delusions of grandeur about his athletics gifts, and told the Jamaica Observer he left Kingston College in 1972, “one year before the first Gibson Relays in 1973”.
“I competed for the UWI (Clubs & Institutions) but I cannot remember if it was 1973 or 1974. It was not a distinguished or memorable performance. We did not medal and I can’t remember where we placed,” Wilks recalled.
After serving on the committee from 2003, he took over as chairman in 2013 and said between competing at the event to becoming head honcho, “the time period between competing and administering was long, approximately 30 years”.
“But it strengthened loyalty as well as allowing one to see things from both sides,” Wilks reasoned.
Having worked alongside McCook — who was known as one of the best sports administrators in his time, not just in Jamaica but also regionally and globally — Professor Wilks said, “Mr McCook is known for strong, decisive leadership.”
“[He was known for his] skilled networking and negotiating. I have certainly learned from him in those areas,” he noted.
The lessons, Wilks said, served him well as he continued the transformation of the event.
“I am proud of some of the developments under my leadership, including registration as a limited liability company rather than a group of colleagues functioning informally,” he said.
“This has allowed for easier interaction with banking and business partners in this modern era when these relationships have become more formal and governed by laws,” Wilks added.
He said: “We are a registered charity, governed by the Department of Charities and Friendly Societies. This means we must have formal accounting systems and we have externally audited accounts up to 2020. We have consistently donated to beneficiaries each year, in excess of $2 million, to the four schools closely associated with Bishop Gibson [Kingston College, St Georges College, Glenmuir High and Bishop Gibson High School], as well as other organisations.”
A history of the relays, he said, has been commissioned and produced “on the first 40 years of the relays, essentially the McCook years. It is authored by social historian Professor Verene Shepherd”.
There is no escaping the advances of technology these days, and the sport of track and field is no exception as the event has embraced these changes.
“Technological advances have provided unequivocal advantages. Communication has benefited immensely — from email to WhatsApp to all the virtual platforms that have emerged under the COVID-19 era. Recording, storing and sharing information has become so much more efficient, and if we take advantage of the various options for back-up, the risks of information loss is small. Data security in this electronic era is a real concern and we are learning and improving,” Wilks stated.
The one-day meet that has attracted competition from all corners of the island, from prep and primary schools to high schools and clubs and institutions, is more than just an avenue for competition.
“We see the relays as a major contributor to development of youth in sports as well as overall. The discipline required to succeed in sport is translatable to all areas of life.
“Apart from the athletes, there are coaches, administrators and highly skilled officials who need to learn and develop and have opportunities to test and showcase their skills. There are several legitimate careers which can be pursued in this setting; the relays are another opportunity for these ambitions to be pursued. Then there is the entertainment value, which is immeasurable. The Gibson McCook Relays allow young primary and preparatory school children to be in the same arena with our world-class icons, thus firing their ambitions to higher levels,” Wilks reasoned.
He hailed the vision of the founders of the Gibson McCook Relays, saying: “The vision of McCook and his colleagues, including some from non-sporting background like Dr John Hall and his recently deceased widow, is to be commended.”