From Waterhouse to Wolmer’s to the World
Fraser-Pryce honoured by KSAMC, Wolmer’s Girls
Published:Monday | February 17, 2025 | 10:06 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
“Whatever you do, do it well.”
The age-old adage that serves as the motto for Wolmer’s Girls was on full display yesterday as Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was the toast of a ceremony where she was presented with the Key to the City of Kingston by Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby.
Held at the Douglas Orane Auditorium at the Wolmer’s Boys’ campus, Fraser-Pryce was honoured for her impact on Jamaican athletics and standing as an inspiration for others to follow.
Fraser-Pryce said the award was a special moment for her career as she looks back to her humble beginnings in the Waterhouse community.
“I am feeling good. It is definitely a tremendous honour to be recognised in such a way and as a Kingstonian, born and bred girl from Waterhouse and being at Wolmer’s, this was definitely a highlight for me this year,” the multi Olympic and World Championships medallist said after the ceremony.
“Coming back to where everything started and just having that recognition, I’m hoping that following this recognition, other athletes or individuals will be able to understand the importance of coming together as a country and understanding that they, too, have a chance of achieving success in their area.”
Councillor Swaby, speaking as a representative of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), said the award is reserved only for those who have made significant contribution to the city and the nation at large.
Interestingly, this is the second time Fraser-Pryce has been presented with the key to the city of Kingston.
In 2008, she was among a selection of eight Olympians who were gifted the honour to celebrate their performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
“We gather to honour a champion, a national icon, a daughter of Kingston and a source of immense pride for Jamaica, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. It is with great joy that the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation presents her with the key to the city, an honour given to those who have made extraordinary contribution to the nation,” Swaby said during the ceremony.
“Shelly-Ann’s story is one of resilience, determination, and excellence. Born and raised on Ashoka Road in Waterhouse, she defied the odds to become one of Jamaica’s greatest sprinters.”
Swaby stated that the presentation of the Key to the City was not the only honour that would be bestowed on the sprinter as he also mentioned the approved plans to rename Ashoka Road the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Drive.
The approval of the renaming project was first announced by Swaby in October last year.
“In recognition for her extraordinary achievements and her deep roots in Kingston, the KSAMC has approved the renaming of Ashoka Road in Waterhouse as the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Drive,” he stated.
“A tribute that will ensure generations to come that a champion has walked that street and ran her way into history,” the mayor continued.
ONCE A WOLMERIAN
The presentation from the KSAMC was not Fraser-Pryce’s only honour on the day as she was also gifted a token of appreciation from her alma mater, Wolmer’s Girls.
The token, a seven-pillar award to represent her seven years at the school, caught the Olympian by surprise.
“No, I wasn’t expecting the token. It was very heavy, and of course, they brought me down memory lane,” she quipped. “It’s definitely an honour to be able to have that recognition to know that the institution cares and they love who I am as a person and as an athlete.”
“It’s an honour to be here and to have something in my trophy cabinet - and it’s not the first - that specifically speaks to Wolmer’s and honouring that legacy and that heritage,” Fraser-Pryce said upon receiving the award.
Colleen Montague, principal of Wolmer’s Girls, said it was an important event for the school community to honour one of their distinguished alumni for her achievements both on and off the track.
“It has been a long time in coming. We honoured her several years ago but not in this way, so we felt it was time to do so,” Montague stated. “Her growth, her maturity, her development and her determination and who she is globally and who she is to us, we are very proud of her and all that she achieved for her country and her community that she has served.”
Fraser-Pryce also did her own presentation on the day as she donated US$50,000 to Wolmer’s Girls as a token of her gratitude for her years at the school.
She said her success has placed her in a position where she is now able to pave the way for the next generation to achieve their dreams.
“As I’ve said, Wolmer’s has contributed to who I am as an athlete and what I’ve been able to do off the track as well,” she stated.
“So giving back to the institution is just the right thing. There were a lot of times I needed assistance or needed help with different things, and I was able to get that while being here at Wolmer’s. For me, to give back wasn’t something difficult to do.”