In Part One, Sporting Pro examines the life and professional career of Nelson “Chris” Stokes. In Part Two next Sunday, Sporting Pro zooms in on the exploits of Stokes, the bobsleigh pioneer and Olympic legend.

THERE are so many inspiring stories that have been told, retold, and written about the life journey of Dr Nelson Christian “Chris” Stokes.

Could there possibly be more? Yes! By all indications his story is nowhere near the end but rather could be somewhere in the middle, or near the beginning even.

Who knows, as this irrepressible Jamaican continues to author his own story by deeds that outswell that of the ordinary man.

But where does one start in capturing the essence of a man who sets himself no boundaries?

The beginning, perhaps?

Nelson Stokes — the outstanding Jamaican, businessman, banker, motivational speaker, multitalented athlete, bobsleigh pioneer and Olympian legend we know today — moved around a lot as child.

“I spent my first few years as a child in the Turks and Caicos Islands then moved to Galina in St Mary [Jamaica], then to Red Hills Road in Kingston. The better part of my teen years was spent in Montego Bay,” he shared with the Jamaica Observer.

Stokes’s journeyman early years were attributed to his father, the late Reverend Dr Dudley Stokes, and his work as a minister in the Baptist Church.

“We moved around a lot as my father got different assignments from the Baptist Church where he was a pastor, or to different schools.

“He was a missionary in the Turks and Caicos Islands where I went for three months. Then he was a minister in St Mary, then Chaplain at Calabar High School before becoming head of the extension school.

“He then moved to Montego Bay as headmaster, then Belair as headmaster before joining The Gleaner as editor,” Stokes outlined.

The 58-year-old Stokes recalled his late father as an extraordinary man, measured against the highest standards.

“He was a man’s man, a great man. He was charismatic, with a great deal of personal power who could command any room. He was an immense influence on my brother and me. Above all, I understood how to stand on your feet as a man and shrink from no one, regardless of what power they may think they have over you. That has characterised me,” Stokes recalled.

The president of the Jamaica Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation has two siblings — elder brother Dudley Clifford Talmage “Tal” Stokes and younger sister Adrien Marie Teressa. Their mother is Dr Blossom O’Meally-Nelson.

Stokes is currently married to Kayon but has a daughter NaTalia by his late first wife, Michelle.

Growing up in an environment where education was a rule rather than a choice, Nelson Stokes has been to more schools that most.

Early out, he attended Port Maria Primary and St Richard’s Primary, then Calabar High School (forms 1-3), Cornwall College (forms 4-5) and Munro College (form 6).

At the tertiary level, Stokes had stints at Bronx Community College (associates degree in liberal arts), University of Idaho (Bachelor of Science in Finance), Washington State University (MBA in Finance) and The University of the West Indies (PhD in Economic Development Policy).

Armed with scholastic ammunition, Stokes was well positioned to go after his dreams in the world of work.

Famous for his exploits with Jamaica’s bobsleigh team at the Calgary Winter Games in 1988, he has quietly made his mark as a captain of industry, business, and finance. His resume in the professional domain is as colourful as the rainbow.

“My professional expertise is banking and financial services with an emphasis on fintech,” Stokes chimed.

Among his senior positions inside the exclusive halls of corporate Jamaica, and a tenure that he is perhaps best remembered for, is the post of senior vice-president, business development at Victoria Mutual Group from 1994 to 2005.

“This was a defining period in my career where I learned about honourable purpose in business — that is, helping persons own a house, establish a home and family, and ultimately build better communities and a better society. This was the mission of VMBS [Victoria Mutual Building Society] from its inception in 1878 — to serve the ‘deserving thrifty’ — and that idea of business with a greater purpose has been definitive for me,” Stokes shared.

He likened his three-year run at National Commercial Bank (NCB) as general manager, international business division, as an “Olympic team or athlete — determined to win, willing to make the sacrifice”.

“The gold medal is more money and more money, and they [NCB] have done that very well. The culture of performing regardless of circumstances and driving the business by the number was very different from VMBS, but equally important as an ingredient in success,” Stokes reasoned.

As a natural course, the unstoppable Olympic legend divested his interest in business ownership, inaugurating not one, but a group of campanies.

“NCS Enterprises has three divisions — NCS Financial Services Group, NCS Conspicio, and NCS Sport. NCS Financial Services Group is a fintech-driven money services business where we offer remittances, bill payments, payroll processing, prepaid cards, digital wallets, and SME loans targeted at financially empowering the unbanked and under-banked.

“NCS Conspicio is where I do my speaking, motivational subject matter — specific or otherwise. I also do corporate training in the division as well as research and writing on social and economic issues.

“NCS Sport is made up of the Jamaica Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (which is a mission-driven non-profit), and Akan Sport Management where we prepare athletes for post-competition life,” the executive chairman explained.

Apart from offering services to his country and its people through his corporate platform, Stokes remains unshakeable in his beliefs and efforts that sport can provide the seed from which individuals can grow as athletes, Jamaicans and as humans.

“I see myself as contributing to the development of my country, one person at a time. Sometimes that is best served through sport. So, sport is a tool for creating opportunity and developing character in young men and young women. That will make them better, more accomplished, more confident, more prepared persons — and hopefully, better family members, community members and citizens.

“The pursuit of excellence in sport is an excellent vehicle for this, and it has the added benefit that I love and am passionate about sport and sport performance,” Stokes asserted.

He also lends his time and talent to the process of raising his fellow Jamaicans intellectually.

“I have a way of thinking about things, and communication perspectives and ideas that are thoughtful and not contentious and are, therefore, constructive in public discourse. This has been a particularly important and valuable contribution to a certain sector of the society,” Stokes disclosed.

But what drives a man to the obligation of self-sacrifice that is required to be so consumed by this many life passions and endeavours?

“It is a sense of purpose in life that we are not here just to satisfy ourselves, including satisfying our ego for accomplishment and status. Nothing is wrong with those, but as goals in themselves, they are life’s empty calories.

“I truly believe that the universe has given me a seed that is my unique ‘me-ness’. My duty is to plant that, nurture it to a seedling, then a tree which will have its own fruits, and those fruits will have their own seeds which will have their own purpose in the great design of the universe; and I would have given all of me to the universe, have fulfilled my purpose, and should die exhausted,” was the philosophical response.

“Chris” Stokes’s name may carry a pound in the corporate space. In other words, he has got status and respect. But the truth is, that ‘fame’ pales in comparison to his global popularity earned through his exploits as an Olympic bobsleigher.

Stokes, his brother “Tal”, Devon Harris, and Michael White, have immortalised themselves in Olympic folklore with their historic appearance at the Winter Games of 1988. Their romantic story even inspired a Hollywood flick titled Cool Runnings.

Thirty-four years on, the emotions, the setbacks, the scorn are still fresh.

“At the time I was focusing on what was in front of me, which [was] the challenge of racing in a bobsleigh at the Olympics. I got glimpses at the time of the fame and excitement it generated, but my whole focus was on competing hard and doing well on the ice.

“When I look back now within the context of what Jamaica bobsleigh has meant to the sport of bobsleigh, to the Olympic movement and to humanity, I get a feeling of doing what I was called to do well.

“People ask me if I feel proud of what we did, and maybe, somewhat; but more than anything else [it] is a feeling of executing my duty in doing what I needed to do in that moment for the team and continuing to discharge my responsibility as a custodian of the legacy,” Stokes stated.

So inspiring was the monumental event that Stokes — one of the players in his own story — drew on his writing alter ego to pen an autobiographical book aptly titled Cool Runnings and Beyond.

“The book [sales] started out slowly but has done very well over time. It was, of course, challenging to write, to tell the story and to convey meaning.

“I am a writer but writing is always hard, even painful at times. As Thomas Mann said, ‘A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people,’ ” Stokes stated.

Many may be surprised to know that the multitalented sportsman played football and ran track at the college level.

“I played daCosta Cup football for Cornwall and Munro and got a call-up for the All-daCosta team,” Stokes shared.

Stokes says his favourite meal is the Jamaican national dish, ackee and saltfish “with boiled bananas and yellow yam”.

His musical taste is as varied as his talents and so he will easily drift away to My Way — not the more popular Frank Sinatra standard, but Vic Taylor’s version.

His favourite group is Chocquibtown, while Billie Holiday and Beres Hammond are his first picks for female and male vocalists, respectively.

Editor’s note: Nelson “Chris” Stokes is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, sports administrator and Olympic bobsleigh legend.