Kerron the baller? - Retired sprinter to train Finnish club

Kerron Stewart reached to the pinnacle of athletics when she and her compatriots, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sherone Simpson, swept the 100-metre medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in China.

But her thirst for greatness in sport remains unquenched as the 34- year-old, who retired from athletics last year, is looking to forge a path in football.

Stewart signed a deal with FC Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (KTP), a football club in south-east Finland, to teach its various teams sprint training. But Horane Brown, owner of Jasports Sports Agency, the entity that struck the deal with the former St Jago High School athlete, said that Stewart is also hoping to also play for the club.

“Kerron reached out to me last year and said that she was interesting in playing football,” Brown said. “We reached out to the club, but we realised that we would get a better deal for her if she coaches. But she is still hoping to play as well.”

KTP’s website said that Stewart will join the coaching staff from May to September.

The 2009 IAAF World Championships 100-metre silver medallist is not new to the sport of football as she played for St Jago High School.

Stewart is among a handful of athletes who have won medals at all three stages of IAAF competitions. She won a silver medal in the 100m in 2001 at the now-defunct World Youth Championships.

The following year, she joined forces with Simpson, Simone Facey, and Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby to win the World Junior 4x100m relay title at the National Stadium in Kingston.

At the senior level, she has won silver medals in the 100m at the Olympic Games and World Championship in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and has been a staple on the women’s 4x100m team which has won multiple global titles.

Stewart has personal best times of 10.75 and 21.99 seconds in the 100 and 200 metres, respectively.