Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

[SistahD]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

((Nelson)) what was your reaction to the wonderful winters we have here in Canada? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] And how did you adapt?

[NelsonStokes]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by Ochigal:
[qb] Since I am not sure I will be able to pop in to see if he arrives I will post my greeting now too.

Welcome Nelson...Glad to have you here at Jamaicans.com.

Two questions...

1. How accurate was the Movie "Cool Runnings"...did you enjoy watching it?

2. Are you the same member of the Stokes family that used to be (or maybe still are) the managing director of Helitours? If so we used be associated thru the St. Ann Chapter of AJAL. I was operations manager for Heave-Ho charters and worked with PJ for years when he was AJAL president. Good to see you if you are that person...and even if not...good to see you here anyway [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [/qb]

Thanks for the questions. i enjoyed cool runnings very much. It is an excellent movie. Still, it's a movie and not a documentary so that several facts were massaged and many fictional things were added. Nevertheless, the movie in its totality represents very well the struggles and triumphs of the 1988 team.

My brother Dudley 'Tal' Stokes was founder of helitours. He was the captain and driver for the team for 12 years.

[yardy]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Hi Nelson, welcome actually that question was from my baby [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Is it true that the team is made up with soldiers or a soldier??

[SistahD]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

((Nelson)) I think the initial team and it's struggles as well as the movie, combined to encourage support worldwide for the Jamaican effort... did that support evolve into sponsorship or financial support in the following years?

[NelsonStokes]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by SistahD:
[qb] ((Nelson)) what was your reaction to the wonderful winters we have here in Canada? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] And how did you adapt? [/qb]

The problem with winters is that they are cold. But its an important part of the sport. You do adapt but never get used to it.
Canada is always so beautiful after a fresh snowfall.

[SistahD]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by Nelson_Stokes-Cool_Runnings&Beyond:
[qb]The problem with winters is that they are cold. But its an important part of the sport. You do adapt but never get used to it.
Canada is always so beautiful after a fresh snowfall. [/qb]

Truss mi... mi nah get used to it yet! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

[NelsonStokes]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by Yardy:
[qb] Hi Nelson, welcome actually that question was from my baby [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Is it true that the team is made up with soldiers or a soldier?? [/qb]

The 1988 team had three of the four members from the Jamaica Defence Force. I was the only member not a soldier. Over the years we have gotten many of our best athletes from the force.

[Xavier]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Congrats on your new book? Are you still very close to your teamates? Have you gotten use to being a celebrity?

[NelsonStokes]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by Yardy:
[qb] It is 2 a'clack j'can time weh uuunnnooo deh [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [/qb]

We deh yah.

[Diplomat]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by Nelson_Stokes-Cool_Runnings&Beyond:

Originally posted by Yardy:
Hi SisD oh yes he wants to know [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] who came up with the idea of the bobsleigh team??

The team was actually started by two American business men working in Jamaica - William Maloney and George Fitch. They saw the push cart derby and thought it looked a lot like bobsledding. It is of course very different.

Just like those Yanks [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

QUESTION: What is the current status of bobsledding in JA? I can't recall hearing anything since about a year or so after the Calgary Olympics? BTW, welcome to the boards. I'm very busy but will check in for your answer.

[NelsonStokes]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by Ochigal:
[qb] Actually its 2 oclock New York time...but remember with the time change its still only 1:00 Jamaica time.

SisD...maybe he is off by an hour? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [/qb]

I'm here guys.

[Xavier]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Nelson,

There are some questions on page one? Did you see them.

From CEW

QUESTION: What is the current status of bobsledding in JA? I can't recall hearing anything since about a year or so after the Calgary Olympics? BTW, welcome to the boards. I'm very busy but will check in for your answer.

From Me:

Congrats on your new book? Are you still very close to your teamates? Have you gotten use to being a celebrity?

[NelsonStokes]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by SistahD:
[qb] ((Nelson)) I think the initial team and it's struggles as well as the movie, combined to encourage support worldwide for the Jamaican effort... did that support evolve into sponsorship or financial support in the following years? [/qb]

The truth is sponsorship remains an ongoing problem and our biggest challenge until now. We have had some success though and continue to work at it.

[NelsonStokes]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by Xavier:
[qb] Nelson,

There are some questions on page one? Did you see them.

From CEW

QUESTION: What is the current status of bobsledding in JA? I can't recall hearing anything since about a year or so after the Calgary Olympics? BTW, welcome to the boards. I'm very busy but will check in for your answer.

From Me:

Congrats on your new book? Are you still very close to your teamates? Have you gotten use to being a celebrity?

[/qb]

The team has participated in every Olympic Winter Games since Calgary. In 1994 the team finished in 14th place, eighth nation overall including beating the USA, and in Salt Lake City 2002 the team set the record in the 2-man start. Sometimes outstanding athletic achievement does not get covered as much as novelties stories.
I am still very much involved with the team from and adminsitrative point and remain close to the athletes. We are now deep in preparation for Torino 2006.
Thanks for your words on the book. It's available on Amazon. Please enjoy it.

[SistahD]

Re: Jamaican Bobsled Friday April 16th

Originally posted by Nelson_Stokes-Cool_Runnings&Beyond:
[qb] The truth is sponsorship remains an ongoing problem and our biggest challenge until now. We have had some success though and continue to work at it. [/qb]

You would think that with the tremendous success, growth and popularity the team has had since the initial competitive year... fundraising would be much easier, especially with the expansion of the men's team and branching out into a women's team as well.