Granddaughters remember GC Foster

THROUGH THE eyes of his grandchildren, the legacy of Gerald Claude Eugene Foster, better known as GC Foster, is still being discovered, explored and analysed.

But as much as they are still finding out about their grandfather, Andrea Roberts, Heather Chinn and Debbie Jardine hope that a documentary chronicling the pursuit of his Olympic dream will show his drive, determination and importantly, the impact on the success in track and field Jamaica now enjoys.

The 30-minute documentary, ‘Finding Foster: The Search for Jamaica’s Long Sprint Hero’ debuted on Thursday at GC Foster College. It explores the period before Foster became one of Jamaica’s most esteemed coaches, taking viewers through a journey that included overcoming the destruction of the 1907 earthquake, his attempt the following year to compete at the Olympics in London and how his time there shaped his sporting destiny.

For Roberts, her memories of her grandfather include not only his athletic pursuit, but how important his spiritual life was to him.

“He was a very spiritual person and he went to church every day. He lived right beside Holy Cross Church. He went to Mass probably nearly every morning. He loved the Lord a lot. So we had a good example in our lives,” Roberts told The Sunday Gleaner.

Foster spared no details regarding his various travels, according to Chinn, who said that he had a keen interest in the world around him, something that she never got bored of. It was only in her adult life that she understood the importance of her grandfather to athletics and the Jamaican sporting landscape.

IMPORTANT FIGURE

“I had no idea that he was such an important figure at the time, to be honest. It’s since adulthood that I am realising that my gosh! I wish that I had stuck closer to him and found out more about him because he seemed to impact so many lives. I have met so many Jamaicans who are like, you are GC Foster’s granddaughter? And they tell me so many stories about him,” Chinn said.

Those stories include being among the many athletes that would go to Foster for the physiotherapy techniques that he would introduce and would become the standard today.

“I believe he had such an impact on all the runners now. Even the way that they start was something that he introduced and with the physiotherapy and training with the injuries. I don’t think that was done prior to him,” Chinn said.

With his journey to the 1908 Olympics being chronicled, Jardine says that she hopes that persons will appreciate the courage it took for Foster to go to England in 1908 despite not being able to compete because Jamaica was not affiliated with the International Olympic Committee.

“We have been so successful in track and field and it is really good to see where we are coming from and see the chances that he took to try and make it. Going to England, not knowing if he could get into a race but going away. He must have had a lot of guts and a lot of heart to do that,” Jardine said.

Michael Grant, who produced the documentary, a companion to the new book Fifty Days Afire, done in collaboration with Hubert Lawrence, said that Jamaica’s current success can be traced to the journey and risks that Foster took.

“He definitely paved the way. The whole story comes through him. Everything that is happening now comes through him because the idea of feeling like you can and doing it that early is very important to everyone who is a star right now. So it is something that students, athletes, retired athletes should see and be proud of,” Grant said.

It is something that Jardine said that all Jamaicans can learn from.

“He was very passionate and he didn’t take no for an answer. He just continued to push in every little way to get towards his goals. And if we could all be like that, not take no, persevere, I think that is something that we can all do and be better for it,” Jardine said.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com