Local surfer hell-bent on Olympic berth
Published:Friday | December 11, 2020 | 12:09 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
In a year that has seen him being recognised for excellence in his sport, national surfer Elishama Beckford says that he is focused on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Beckford is among the seven nominees shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in Sport, which will be awarded this Sunday in a virtual ceremony. The list of nominees is headlined by world champion long jumper and national record holder Tajay Gayle.
Surfing, which was recently added to the Olympic catalogue, will be introduced at the Olympics next year, which were postponed in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the virus caused the postponement of the final Olympic-qualifying event, which is now scheduled for next May. While the sport has not escaped the challenges brought about by the pandemic, Beckford says that his training has not suffered as he has been able to continue preparing for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers.
“In terms of staying active, I’m fortunate enough to live right by the beach, so I’m able to train almost every single day. There are ways available,” Beckford told The Gleaner.
By winning the national surfing series, he secured his spot on the team for the qualifying tournament, which the International Surfing Association says will be the World Surfing Games in El Salvador. Beckford says that continued practice and staying healthy will be critical to his chances of qualifying.
“Now, it’s just about fine-tuning certain things, staying fit, staying healthy, eating properly and surfing every day,” he said. “The best training for surfing is surfing itself, being in the ocean and just learning more and more, and staying on top of everything and staying sharp.”
Although he recognises the difficult qualification process, he says that he and his teammates have every chance of making history for themselves and for the sport nationally.
“We are going up against the top surfers in the world, but this is something that we have done before,” he said. “We have competed alongside them, and now we are slightly on the same calibre. So it’s all about putting in the work, staying fit and mentally ready. But if that time comes and we can execute, that would be a life-changing experience for sure.”