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April 6, 2025
Sprint or Marathon?
What Champs Athletes Can Teach Us About Wealth-Building
Jamaicans love a good sprint. Whether it’s the 100m finals at the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys’ & Girls’ Championships or the thrill of a tight stock market rally, there’s something about the seemingly quick run to victory that gets the adrenaline pumping. At Champs, the 100m sprinters tend to steal the show, causing the crowd to erupt as they burst from the blocks, covering the distance in under 11 seconds. It’s electrifying! While the sprints go by fast, many take for granted the years of patience and discipline it takes to get the gold. Sprint legend Usain Bolt famously said, “I trained four years to run nine seconds and people give up when they don’t see results in two months.”
Investing and the sprints have more in common than you think. Just as Bolt and Champs athletes train relentlessly for years before the glory, successful investors who commit to a disciplined, long-term strategy are better positioned to build wealth. Yet many new investors enter the market chasing quick profits, reacting to every market movement, and taking risks without a strategy. The real winners in wealth-building know that it takes time and discipline. They predict, plan, and persevere. Long-term investors like Warren Buffett, John Bogle, and Peter Lynch built their fortunes by following a disciplined investment approach, much as sprinters train for years to produce the results they do.
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Today, we’ll discuss how the principles that make champion athletes, such as starting early, having discipline, being consistent, managing risk prudently, and relying on expert guidance, can also help smart investors build wealth.
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1.
Start Early: The Power of Training and Compound Interest
Every year at Champs – Jamaica’s cradle for sprint legends – athletes as young as 12 dream of going pro, knowing their journey to success means they must start early. Similarly, investors who start early reap the biggest rewards.
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A 20-year-old who invests J$100,000 annually in a mutual fund earning an average 7 per cent return will have over J$27.5m by the retirement age of 65. Meanwhile, a 40-year-old investing the same amount will accumulate only J$6.32m – less than a quarter of the amount. This is the magic of compound interest – the earlier you start, the greater your wealth grows.
A Champs sprinter wouldn’t dream of starting training the month before Champs and expect to win gold. The same logic applies to wealth-building.
Lesson: Like sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, who started honing her talent at Champs as a Wolmer’s Girls’ athlete, it’s important that you begin investing early to maximise long-term gains.
2.
Discipline & Consistency: Staying the Course Through Market Ups and Downs
No Champs athlete wins gold without a rigorous training plan. Likewise, the most successful investors find a well-structured investment strategy and stick to it, regardless of short-term market fluctuations.
Imagine an athlete abandoning their diet and training routine after one bad race – where would they be in five years? In the same way, panic-selling stocks or stopping investments during a market dip is one of the worst moves an investor can make, assuming the fundamentals of their investments remain strong. However, just as athletes fine-tune their training or switch coaches when needed, investors must periodically assess their strategy to ensure it still aligns with their goals and market conditions.
Take the 2008 financial crisis. Many investors panicked and pulled out of the market, suffering massive losses. However, those who stayed invested and continued contributing saw their portfolios recover and grow significantly in the following decade. At the same time, the smartest investors didn’t just hold blindly; they reassessed their portfolios, adjusted where necessary, and maintained a disciplined approach.
Lesson: Smart investors don’t react emotionally to market noise. They trust their financial strategy, stay informed, make adjustments where necessary, and make well-calculated decisions.
3.
Risk Management: Knowing When to Push and When to Hold Back
Sprinters explode from the blocks at full speed, but distance runners strategically pace themselves, conserving energy for the final lap. Investing works the same way – there are times to be aggressive and times to be cautious.
Younger investors can afford to take more risks by investing more heavily in growth stocks and start-up equity, because they have time to recover from downturns. However, as retirement approaches, investors may shift towards bonds, dividend-paying stocks, and lower-risk investments for stability.
Think about Usain Bolt at the Olympics. He didn’t run every race at full power from the start – especially during the heats. Bolt, Fraser-Pryce, and other world-class athletes know when to hold back, conserve energy, and surge forward at the right moment. Investors who recognise and capitalise on market opportunities like buying stocks with strong fundamentals and solid growth prospects when the market is down often experience better long-term results.
Lesson: Assess where you are in your financial journey and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
4.
Coaching Matters: Why Expert Guidance Leads to Success
There is no Champs or professional athlete who reaches the top without a strong coach guiding them. Even the most naturally gifted runners need expert coaching to correct their form, improve endurance, and refine their race execution strategies.
Likewise, even if you have a good eye for market trends, professional investment guidance ensures your financial strategy is optimised for long-term success. A 2022 report by Vanguard noted that investors who work with a financial advisor tend to outperform do-it-yourself (DIY) investors by up to 3 per cent annually, making a significant difference in total wealth over decades. This is because DIY investors are more susceptible to emotional decision-making, like panic selling during downturns and overconfidence during upswings, leading to poor timing of buy and sell actions.
Lesson: Just as a great coach refines an athlete’s performance, an investment advisor fine-tunes your financial strategy for maximum growth.
Are You Ready for Your Financial Gold Medal?
At Champs, victory belongs to those who train consistently, strategise, and execute well. The same applies to investing. It’s not about making quick wins but rather building a long-term portfolio that delivers steady, sustainable growth. Similar to how Champs athletes build their legacy through years of dedication, smart investing allows you to create lasting financial security and wealth over time.
So, ask yourself: Are you treating your financial journey like a quick win, or are you training for long-term financial stability? If you’re ready to invest like a champion, speak with an NCB Capital Markets Limited wealth advisor today and build a portfolio for long-term victory. For more information, email ncbcapinfo@jncb.com or call 1-876-960-7108 to speak with a wealth advisor. Your future self will thank you.
Dr Karrian Hepburn Malcolm, Head — Wealth Management, National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited
