GoodHeart | Pocket Rocket Foundation opens doors for SVG top student-athletes
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By the time Tyler Hercules and Kesiann John landed in Jamaica, their names were already written into St Vincent and the Grenadines' (SVG) school athletics history. What awaited them at the Pocket Rocket Foundation (PRF) Student-Athlete Summit was something just as important: a wider vision of who they could become.
Hercules, 12, of St Vincent Boys Grammar School, and John, 16, of Barrouallie Secondary School, were specially invited to attend the summit after emerging as the top male and female performers at the 2026 SVG Inter-Secondary Schools Athletics Championship in March.
Hercules was named Victor Ludorum, the championship’s most outstanding male athlete, after breaking the junior boys’100m, 200m and 400m records. John earned the Victrix Ludorum title after breaking the senior girls’ 800m and 1500m records.
Their journey to Jamaica signified a reward for excellence and an invitation to witness what it becomes when talent is combined with discipline, education, character, and exposure.
Held under the theme ‘Ready. Set. Accelerate!’, the PRF Student-Athlete Summit, held last Friday, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, brought together over 150 student-athletes from more than 30 high schools across Jamaica, along with the specially invited students from St Vincent and the Grenadines. Designed to inspire and empower student athletes beyond athletics, the summit's agenda had an impactful line-up of speakers, focused on education, leadership, personal growth, and the lasting impact they can make.
For Hercules, the lessons were immediate and personal. “I learned that success starts with being prepared, staying disciplined, and believing in myself even when things are hard,” he said. “Every mistake is a chance to learn, and if I keep working toward my goals, I can become better every day in both my athletic and academic journey.”
For John, the experience was one she said she will always cherish. “It was very nice to come, meet new people, gain knowledge, and experience new things that will help me both as an athlete and as a person.” She also offered heartfelt thanks to Pocket Rocket Foundation founder and chairwoman, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, for seeing “the potential in us as the future generation of athletes and for believing in our dreams”.
Fraser-Pryce said the summit was created to help young people recognise the fullness of who they are and what they can become. “Today, we celebrate more than athletic talent. We celebrate courage, discipline, resilience and the limitless potential inside each of you,” she said during the event. “Whether your path leads to professional sport, the classroom, business, leadership or service, the same mindset that drives excellence in sport can propel you toward future greatness in life.”
For Renson Haynes, former national footballer for St Vincent and the Grenadines and CEO of Awesome Sports International, accompanying the students to Jamaica was deeply meaningful. “Words can’t express how grateful I am for having had the opportunity to travel to Jamaica with two of SVG’s top young student-athletes to participate in such a great and impactful summit,” he said.
The moment also reflected a growing regional bridge. Earlier this year, a PRF delegation travelled to St Vincent and the Grenadines for a football exchange through its Peace Through Sports programme, giving young Jamaican footballers regional exposure and strengthening ties across Caribbean sporting communities. That initiative was hosted in collaboration with Awesome Sports International. Now, with Hercules and John coming to Jamaica, the connection has come full circle.