Trecia Smith is being saluted with a the Gleaner Honour Award in the category of sports.

Elton Tucker, Assistant Sports Editor

STRONG, STRAPPING, determined, mentally tough are just four of the adjectives which can be used to describe Trecia Smith, Jamaica's golden girl at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki.

Smith defied bad weather and a worrying ankle injury to beat the best in the world and claimed Jamaica's first field event gold medal at a major world track championships and the first medal of any colour by a female field event athlete.

She also became only the third Jamaican to mine an individual gold medal at the World Championships after Bertland Cameron in 1983 and Merlene Ottey in 1993 and 1995.

For 30-year-old Smith the victory was sweet. Two disappointing fourth place finishes at the 2004 World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the Athens Olympics in Greece had left her more determined than ever to get things right in Helsinki.

MAGNIFICENT PERFORMANCE

"I am very motivated. Fourth is no-man's land and I am confident I can get a medal in Helsinki," she had predicted before the August 6-14 cham-pionships in the Finnish capital.

In Helsinki the 1.75m tall Smith was magnificent. Her winning distance was a fifth round leap of 15.11 metres, equalling the best jump in the world for 2005. Overall she had an excellent series in which all attempts except her first were beyond 14.50m. The last two went past 15 metres.

Her determination was there for all to see as her best efforts came after she had injured her ankle when taking off on her second round jump.

As if stung by the injury Smith threw everything into the last three attempts. She moved into the lead in the fourth round equalling her season's best of 14.91m. She then tied this year's lead jump in the fifth, and leapt beyond 15 metres (15.01) again in the sixth.

She admitted later that day in Helsinki that although the pain got worse after each attempt, gold was always on her mind.

"I hurt my ankle with my second attempt and it hurt even more with the third but I did expect to do my season's best as I saw the gold medal coming all the time," she said.

Born November 5, 1975 in Westmoreland, Smith began her early track and field career at Mannings School. She was an outstanding long jumper for her school at the annual Girls Championships and went on to represent Jamaica at the IAAF World Junior Championships in 1994 in Lisbon.

She earned a scholarship to University of Pittsburgh in the United States and continued to perform at a high level winning the prestigious National Collegiate Athletics Association's (NCAA) titles in the long jump in 1997 and 1999.

She was also crowned NCAA triple jump champion in 1998.

PHYSIOTHERAPY DEGREE

Smith who graduated with a degree in physiotherapy won her first national triple jump title in 2001 and successfully defended it in 2002. She missed the championships in 2003 but made a
triumphant return in 2004.

Coached in London by British-based Frank Attoh, Smith won her first major medal, a bronze, at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.

Two years later, on August 2, 2004, she posted a national and Commonwealth record of 15.16m at the Linz Grand Prix meet.

This year has been an outstanding one for Smith. In addition to winning gold at the year's most prestigious meet Smith had a marvellous run in the top Grand Prix meets. In five meets on the rich TDK Golden League circuit she was only upstaged by Russia's Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva.

Smith was second in Rome, Oslo, Zurich and Brussels, and fourth at the first meet in Paris. Lebedeva won at all six meets to be the sole winner of the US$1m TDK jackpot.

Ray Chang is being saluted with a joint Gleaner Honour Award in the category of business.

Barbara Ellington, Lifestyle Editor

HE IS a publicity-shy fund management magnate, preferring instead to do good things in silence, avoiding any publicity whatsoever. He is Ray Chang, chairman of the board of CI Financial, Canada's third-largest investment fund company.

This Jamaican-Canadian billionaire is actively involved in Walkerswood where heightened activity has been taking place for years. Through Walkerswood, Mr. Chang has been funding farm-related projects, primarily related to producing spices. His approach to the Walkerswood project is based on the following:

agriculture in Jamaica is still one of the largest employers.

Jamaica cannot compete with the larger global economies except perhaps in products that have a unique Jamaican edge.

GOOD BUSINESS TIPS

It is better to value-add on products rather than export raw material.

By injecting tremendous capital to increase the capacity at Walkerswood ... the return (on capital) will probably not be realised in the near term. In any event, by increasing the capacity also provides a market for small farmers who lack capital, land and to a lesser extent know-how (especially modern farming techniques). He has increased the Walkerswood capacity and by providing small farmers with capital and some know-how (especially business tips) so that they can earn a living.

Mr. Chang is the recent recipient of an honorary doctor of commerce degree and he believes that a good life is not measured by the accumulated wealth but is evaluated by the contribution made to society.

LOVER OF PROGRESS

"I just love to see somebody trying, having pride in what they do. I like to see perseverance. I like to help people who are willing to help themselves," he said.

Mr. Chang is on the Ryerson board of governors and the university's school of continuing education bears his name. He sits on the board of the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation, and established a chair at University of Toronto in internal medicine and a fellowship for West Indian doctors at the University Health Network.

Elsie Sayle is being saluted with a Merit Gleaner Honour Award in the field of volunteerism.

Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter

SOME PEOPLE just never seem to get tired of helping others. Elsie Sayle is one of those persons. This veteran social worker got into the whole business of volunteerism purely by chance. But this chance encounter has proven to be the most important event of this philanthropist's life.

Ms. Sayle was working as the second to the headmistress at Westwood High School in Trelawny in 1947, when she received a letter from a friend, informing her of a vacancy at the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS). "That was how it started. I didn't set out to be a social worker," she said.

Ms. Sayle took the job at the council and realised that she liked the field. She took two years off (1957-1959), to attend the Liverpool University in England, where she studied social work.

When her schooling was complete, she returned to Jamaica. She was promoted to youth secretary at the CVSS. But in no time, she was promoted again to training officer.

In 1969, Elsie Sayle became the chief executive officer of the CVSS, a post she held for 20 years. She retired in 1989.

While holding that position, she worked tirelessly to pro-
mote volunteerism in Jamaica. She is particularly proud of the youth exchange programmes organised under her watch. Ms. Sayle travelled the globe promoting the importance of volunteerism. She visited parts of Africa, Europe, Belize, Japan and the Caribbean.

WHY SO LONG?

But why did she decide to stay in the field so long?

"I saw that it brought people together. People see a need for it, so the voluntary field is always growing," she said.

But don't think for a second that this philanthropic belle has slowed down since her retirement. Now, at 81 years old, Elsie Sayle is an active member of the Kingston Charity Organisation Society, where she continues to pursue her passion.

Andrew Lyle will this year receive the Gleaner Youth Honour Award for his outstanding performance in education.

ANDREW LYLE is only 21 years old, but he has already made tremendous strides in his life.

He is currently a student at the University of Western Ontario in Canada where he is pursuing a master of science degree in engineering.

UWI GRADUATE

A graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Andrew graduated with a bachelor's of science degree in electronics and computer science with first class honours.

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

But that was not his only outstanding achievement. While at Campion College he gained eight subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate level, an A at the GCE Ordinary level, an A for Advanced Mathematics and two A's and one B at the GCE Advanced Level.

And with all these achievements he still does not consider himself a whiz kid. "I don't think of myself that way, I just do my best," the confident young man told The Gleaner during a telephone interview from Canada.

After he has completed his master's degree, Andrew plans to pursue his doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree in computer engineering.

Andrew, who is a teaching assistant at the University of Western Ontario, describes himself as an easy-going, hardworking person who tries not to get stressed over anything.

When not studying, Andrew enjoys watching television and reading.

In February, he was featured in the 2005 Gleaner's 'Top of the Class', a Gleaner publication that highlights top achievers.

Stacey-Ann Pearson will receive the Gleaner Youth Honour Award for youth education.

Petrina Francis, Education Reporter

WHEN YOU are around Stacey-Ann Pearson, the 2005 Gleaner Spelling Bee Champion, it is difficult to tell that she is a high achiever. She is so humble.

But Stacey-Ann made her family, friends and her country proud when she went to the Scripps Howard Spelling Bee Championship in Washington DC in June and placed 11th.

Stacey-Ann, who was speller 94 of the 273 competitors registered, made it all the way to round nine before falling out. "Aspergilliform" and "Mycetophagous" are some of the words that Stacey-Ann spelt correctly.

The 14-year-old is an avid reader of comics and motivational books and also likes to play tennis. She is currently taking violin lessons.

The Spelling Bee champion told The Gleaner that she would like to pursue a career in engineering because "I find that I do things very well with my hands".

A student at Ardenne High School in St. Andrew, Stacey-Ann describes herself as appreciative and assertive.

November is being celebrated as Youths Month and Stacey-Ann said the youth of Jamaica are faced with a number of challenges. "But the most disturbing one is the exposure to violence that we have to face day-to-day," she lamented.

Nevertheless, the youngster continues to work hard, showing that beyond a doubt, Jamaica's youths are among the most talented in the world.

Claudette Pious is being saluted with a the Gleaner Honour Award in the category of entertainment.

Fabian Ledgister, Staff Reporter

A WELL known figure in the field of theatre, Claudette 'Miss Little' Pious has transcended far beyond her career in theatrics. In fact, receiving the Gleaner Honour Award comes not only for her recognition as a stalwart performer, but also from her philanthropic dedication in educating and counselling children through entertainment.

Born in Kingston, Claudette grew up in various 'uptown' and inner-city communities, including Old Hope Road, Arnett Gardens and Oakland Road. She soon moved with her mother to Mandeville, Manchester, where she attended Fergueson All-Age, and eventually Manchester High School.

It was while in the rural high school that her passion for the dramatic arts began to surface, as she was constantly involved in school productions. Honing her dramatic skill as a child, Pious continued her education at Excelsior Community College, and in 1979, became the recipient of Tastee's first scholarship to the School of Drama (now called the Cultural Training Centre).

FIRST PLAY

"It was while I was still in drama school that I became positioned to be a part of Balford Anderson Productions," she recalled.

Her first play in the drama group was Secret Lovers, with Glen Campbell, in the early 1990s. Claudette's dramatic prowess earned her a permanent spot in the celebrated dramatic group, which soon propelled Pious to relative fame, especially for her comedic roles in these performances.

Finding a niche in comedy, Pious and a group of budding comedians formed Jamaica's first 'Komedy Klub,' in 1992. Founding members include Dorothy Cunningham, Pat Cumber, Carlene Mattis, and Calvin Campbell. Pious said will always love her dramatic roles, but admits that her 'real love' is stand-up comedy.

"With comedy you can speak about anything you want without it being taboo. You can explore social, economical, and political issues in a 'safe space,'" explained Pious.

It was this skill that eventually landed her on a series of television commercials, including the 'Lasco' series of advertisements, solidifying her local popularity. In fact, it was from these Lasco ads that she took her alias, 'Miss Little.'

In a change of pace, Pious soon moved to a completely new horizon in her career, as the entertainer began teaching drama at various institutions, including Camperdown High, Kingston College and Wolmer's.

"As an artiste, you should eventually pass on your knowledge and experience to others, and use the arts as a changing agent in communities," said Pious.

This is exactly what the performer did, for on June 17, 1997, Pious launched 'Children First, working with street children and potential street children, enabling them to make positive contributions to society. The programme has grown immensely and has actually expanded its curriculum to that of an actual high school.

"Ms. Pious has been an excellent force in my life. Without her training, I would probably be locked up or dead," said Richard Guy, a graduate of Children's First.

PAJ AWARD

In 1998, Pious received the Press Association of Jamaica Award for excellence in community development. She has also been appointed to the board of directors of the National Juvenile Advisory Committee, elected to the board of governors of the National Initiative for Street Children, and appointed as a non-governmental organisation representative on two UNICEF committees. Pious has also represented Jamaica at an International Child Rights Conference held in Turin, Italy, and at a child advocacy training in Grenada.

Already holding a bachelor of arts degree from the University of the West Indies, Pious returned to school overseas, at the University of Cambridge in 2002, and now holds a master's degree in social work. She plans to pursue her Ph.D. in social work.