Local gymnast among elite five to secure US scholarships
Published:Tuesday | April 11, 2023 | 1:13 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT of the Jamaica Gymnastics Association, Nicole Grant, believes it’s a proud moment not only for local-bred gymnast Jamilia Duffus, but for Jamaica as she became the first locally trained gymnast to secure an overseas scholarship to the Talladega College in Alabama. Grant stated that the move ties in perfectly with what the College had to offer and what Duffus wanted to study.
“In terms of the academic aspect, the university has what she wants to pursue. We are happy that she’s able to secure such a scholarship overseas where she will be able to pursue both her academic and gymnastics careers because she loves both.
Duffus is home grown. She started at Jamaica School of Gymnastics and then went to Nishida’s Gymnastics. Even through her exams, she continued to train and was able to compete at the Pan American Championships,” Grant stated.
Duffus, who is currently enrolled in the upper sixth form programme at Immaculate Conception High, has been one of the country’s leading flag bearers for the sport and Grant believes the hard work and dedication she has shown over the years is now bearing fruit.
“She’s seen as one that can add to the success of the school’s programme in the USA and this will definitely help to motivate the youngsters locally and show them that hard work will pay off and Jamilia is a good example of that. She’s very focused, and one that puts out 100 per cent in all that she has to do, so this is a good achievement for the sport of gymnastics in Jamaica as well,” she said.
Duffus, who was part of the Jamaican team that participated at the 2022 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, helped the country to an overall finish of ninth and she tallied a total of 39.366 points, which in the process helped qualify Jamaica to the Central American and Caribbean Games. Grant believes her performance on that Pan Am stage was her best in recent times.
“She did very well and it was basically her first major competition and she performed well, she did the best that she could have done and I was proud,” president Grant added.
Also receiving scholarship offers were United States-based Jamaica representatives Danyella Holmes, Chloe Seaga, Alana Walker and Celine Brown.