Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith Celebrates Caribbean Roots

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News Americas, PARIS, France, Thurs. Aug. 8, 2024: Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith may have cursed his bad luck at losing the gold medal to the US’ Quincy Hall, but he did find time to celebrate his silver medal and Caribbean roots.

Hudson-Smith, 29, proudly held up both the British and Jamaican flags during his lap of honor after the 400-meter final. He finished with a silver medal and a European best time of 43.44. “I haven’t seen both my Jamaican grandmothers in a while, so I held the Jamaican flag as an ‘I love you’ to them,” he stated.

Caribbean roots Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain holds both the British and Jamaican flags after his silver medal in the Men’s 400m Final during Day 12 of Athletics – Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 7, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Andy Astfalck/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Hudson-Smith’s parents are reportedly from Hanover, Jamaica. They surprised him by showing up at the stadium for his race and were there to wipe away his tears after his four-second loss to Hall.

Once an academy footballer at Wolves who also worked at a supermarket, Hudson-Smith received a late call-up to the 2014 Glasgow Diamond League and seized his opportunity by running under 45 seconds for the first time. He went on to win European silver at the age of 19. Driven to maximize his potential, he undertook a significant change in 2017 by relocating his training to Florida, temporarily living with US sprint star Noah Lyles.

That move came after placing last in the final on his Olympic debut in Rio, a remarkable feat itself after recovering from several stress fractures to make the team. Just a year later, he won his first individual international title at the European Championships, but his promising trajectory was abruptly halted.

A series of physical issues led Hudson-Smith to accrue substantial debt due to medical costs and a loss of sponsors, before injury ended his hopes of competing at the Tokyo Olympics. These events coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hudson-Smith struggled with his mental health through three years of “absolute hell” as he remained isolated from his family in the United States.

It was not until the 2022 World Championships, overcome with emotion after claiming his first individual global medal, that he revealed the true depths of his darkest days. At his lowest, Hudson-Smith attempted suicide.

Speaking after winning his Olympic silver, Hudson-Smith said: “I saw everyone in the crowd, they were all proud. They know what I have been through. They know that it has been a rough journey. Incredible highs and deep, deep lows.”

Caribbean Athletes Bag 16 Medals At 2024 Paris Olympics to Date

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News Americas, New York, NY, August 8, 2024: Caribbean athletes from six countries have given the region and its Diaspora much to cheer about, securing 16 medals to date at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Mijain Lopez Nunez of Cuba celebrates after winning the wrestling men’s Greco-Roman 130-kilogram competition at the Paris Olympics at Mars Arena on August 6, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kadir Caliskan – United World Wrestling/Getty Images)

Cuba and Jamaica lead the medal tally with five medals each. Cuba has earned two gold medals, one silver, and two bronze. Erislandy Alvarez Borges took gold in the Men’s 63.5kg boxing match, while Mijain Lopez Nunez won gold in the Men’s Greco-Roman 130kg wrestling match. Gabriel Alejandro Rosillo Kindelan earned bronze in the Men’s Greco-Roman 97kg wrestling match, and Arlen Lopez Cardona also won bronze in the Men’s 80kg boxing competition. Yusneylis Guzman Lopez is the only woman to medal for Cuba so far, securing a silver in the Women’s Freestyle 50kg swimming competition.

Roje Stona of Jamaica stands with his new record after winning gold at the end of the Men’s Discus Throw final on day twelve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 7, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)

Jamaica secured its first gold medal on August 7, with Roje Stona’s win in the Men’s Discus Throw. This adds to the silver medals won by Kishane Thompson in the Men’s 100m on August 3, Wayne Pinnock in the Men’s Long Jump, and Shanieka Ricketts in the Women’s Triple Jump. Rajindra Campbell rounds out Jamaica’s medal tally with a bronze in the Men’s Shot Put on August 3.

Silver medallist Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock celebrates on the podium during the victory ceremony for the men’s long jump athletics event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 7, 2024. (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)

St. Lucia celebrated its first-ever Olympic medals, both won by Julien Alfred. She claimed the title of World’s Fastest Woman on August 3 by winning the Women’s 100m and also took silver in the Women’s 200m race.

Dominica secured its first Olympic medal ever, a gold, won by Thea La Fond in the Women’s Triple Jump.

The Dominican Republic’s Yunior Alcantara Reyes and Cristian Javier Pinales both bagged bronze in the Men’s 51kg and Men’s 80kg boxing matches, respectively.

Grenada’s Lindon Victor won his country’s only medal so far, a bronze in the Men’s Decathlon.

These achievements highlight the incredible talent and determination of Caribbean athletes, showcasing their dedication and excellence on the world stage. As the 2024 Paris Olympic Games continue, the region remains hopeful for more victories and inspiring performances from its athletes.

Jamaican Nurse Practitioner Champions Preventive Healthcare

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News Americas, New York, NY, August 8, 2024: “Preventive healthcare is my passion,” says Jamaican-born Adult Health Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Karlene Lawrence, who has over two decades of experience in Preventive Medicine across various health centers in New York City and Long Island.

Dr. Karlene Lawrence is a nurse practitioner based in NYC but born in Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of Ian Buddington)

Born in St. Thomas, Jamaica, Dr. Lawrence attended Holy Childhood Preparatory and High Schools in Kingston, Jamaica, before immigrating to the USA at 17. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Molloy College in Rockville Centre with the goal of becoming a Nurse-Midwife. After obtaining a Midwifery and Women’s Health Graduate degree from New York University, she began practicing in outpatient settings in Queens and Brooklyn. It was at this juncture that her focus changed. “I realized that the care of my female patients was incomplete because I was unable to care for their male partners. That prompted me to pursue an Adult Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate. Over time, it became apparent that my true passion was educating patients about illness prevention and achieving wellness, rather than ‘problem-focused’ appointments and treating an illness after it was already diagnosed.”

Dr. Lawrence returned to school in 2017 and received a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from SUNY Stony Brook University in 2019. During this time, she married educator, musician, and cultural historian LeRoy Graham Jr., who “stepped up in a major way” to assist with raising their three children while she pursued her academic and professional goals.

Dr Karlene Lawrence and husband LeRoy Graham. (Photo courtesy of Ian Buddington)

Among her many honors are The Louis and Rachel Rudin Foundation Scholarship, the New York State Advanced Nursing Education Traineeship Scholarship, and the New York State Primary Care Service Corps Scholarship. She is also a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Currently, Dr. Lawrence serves as the Doctor of Nursing Practice / Nurse Practitioner on a multimillion-dollar Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The program aims to transform the healthcare workforce and community in Brooklyn by establishing a new wellness clinic for adults aged 65 years and older. The clinic will also serve as a training facility for students from all schools and colleges at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.

“Many chronic health conditions are preventable with proper nutrition, adherence to periodic screenings, and taking medication as advised, leading to longer, healthier lives free of common illnesses,” states Dr. Lawrence.

She emphasized that regular screenings for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and cancers such as breast, prostate, and colon can lead to early diagnosis, less complicated treatments, lower healthcare costs, and more successful outcomes. “This is why preventive healthcare and wellness are my passions. Early in my career, I realized that ‘prevention is better than cure’ is very accurate and applicable. Preventive healthcare became the focus of my practice many years ago and remains so until today.”

Dr. Lawrence also addresses challenges in the healthcare system, such as lack of access to affordable healthcare, payment constraints from insurance companies, stigmas towards various health conditions, and biases against older patients and those with mental health issues. “The sad reality is that a majority of the world’s population have challenges understanding healthcare discussions or instructions due to low or no literacy. This hinders the achievement of desired preventive healthcare goals. Unfortunately, the current United States health system can be complicated and difficult to navigate, a longstanding and complex issue that requires an immediate solution to ensure that ‘best treatment’ is always the goal for ALL patients.”

“My goal as a health and wellness educator-presenter is to increase awareness, comprehension, and adherence to recommended preventive health screening guidelines, improve health literacy, and eliminate occurrences of health disparities. I am also passionate about empowering individuals through education to prevent diseases, promote health, and maintain wellness as they age in their own residences,” she explained.

However, Dr. Lawrence acknowledges that she cannot achieve these goals alone. “At the end of the day, we still have to resolve the challenges in our healthcare system, and that will not be done overnight. It is vital that we foster the necessary cooperation between all healthcare stakeholders to arrive at more effective healthcare solutions. The lives of our fellow citizens literally depend on it.”