Primrose Swaby - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Primrose Swaby knows what it means to be committed.

With four shih-tzu dogs to care for, and being the mother of two, with 28 years of teaching and 32 years of marriage under her belt, the coach of this year's winner of The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee competition knows what it is to commit to the task at hand.

Swaby and her 'trainer bee', Shari-Jo Miller, threw a spoke in the wheel of the competition. An Obama moment, if you would, when Miller became the first contestant in 16 consecutive years to win the national competition who had not been trained by the Reverend Glen Archer.

Reverend Archer rose to popularity in 1998 when Jody-Anne Maxwell won the international then-named Scripps Howard Spelling Bee (now Scripps National Spelling Bee).

Working assiduously, Swaby has always been good at what she does. She has had second place-winners in the national final and numerousparish winners. This year, her commitment paid off when she landed her first champion.

"I kept on coming second, second. I knew one day I would make it," Swaby said.

A little added impetus came last year when she acted as a chaperone to last year's national winner, Sade Dunbar, in Washington, DC. She enjoyed the experience and believes it gave her renewed motivation.

Always loved words

Swaby, who has always had a love for words herself, has been an avid reader and a spelling bee enthusiast for some time.

"From I was small, I just loved to read. When I saw a new word, I'd look it up," she said with detective books like Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys being among her favourites. In 1972, while attending Bellefield Junior Secondary and coached by her then principal Caswell Burton, she became the Manchester parish champion. Back then, she would never have known she would be coaching other bees today.

"I have a love for Spelling Bee. I don't charge my children at all," she said. She made special arrangements for Miller, coaching the first-former who attends Bishop Gibson High School in her home. By day, she teaches second and third-grade students at Mandeville Primary and Junior High.

"I love children. When I retire I would like to have a day-care centre or something like that," she said.

After a week of rest, Swaby and Miller will return to training for the international competition in May.

"I'm putting out my all," she said. But what else would you expect?

Primrose Swaby - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer