Mears wants to raise profile of weightlifting in Jamaica

After being the first Jamaican weightlifter to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 30 years, Omarie Mears says he wants to continue to raise the profile of the sport in Jamaica.

At the Games hosted in Birmingham, England, he finished 11th in the final of the men’s 81kg (weightlifting) division, but he said he hopes to have bigger achievements in the near future.

“The feeling is indescribable, I felt proud, I felt honoured. This is something I have dreamed of for a long time … it motivates me more to get stronger to continue to represent Jamaica at the highest standards at all times,” Mears said. “As a national weightlifter, I have achieved a lot so far with being able to compete on the highest platforms and make history for Jamaica. Next would be to qualify for the Paris Olympics or hopefully secure a medal at either the Pan American Championships or the next Commonwealth Games 2026. All these would be historic moments for Jamaica and showcase the talent and athletic ability we possess.”

Mears’ life is basically centred around sports as he has attained a Bachelor’s degree in Sport, Physical Activity & Health and a Master’s degree in Sports Management; along with Level II Technical Official and Sports Leaders Tutor certifications.

With these qualifications and his experience as an elite athlete, Mears says it is his passion to contribute to the local development of the sport.

“So far I’ve been able to use my qualifications to help begin and develop the weightlifting federation alongside the other members that are based in Jamaica,” the England-based Mears said. “The next step which is long overdue is to do a trip and a weightlifting workshop/seminar in Jamaica to really introduce the sport to some of the local athletes and local residents to help boost the engagement and start to have a more consistent training set up. I am quite competent in being able to safely teach others how to lift but also how to lead others to being coaches themselves.”

FOUNDING MEMBER

Mears, who was born in Jamaica and left here at the age of six to live in England, said because of love for the island and weightlifting, he reached out a number of times to the Jamaica Olympic Association regarding the development of weightlifting and when they said there were talks to start a federation, he instantly jumped on board. He is a founding member of the Jamaica Weightlifting Federation and he sees this as a “great honour”.

“I wanted to be a part of the journey to utilise my skills and experience to help build the foundation for future athletes. I’m a member of the core executive team leading the development of weightlifting in Jamaica and our national squad as an athletes’ representative. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this. Weightlifting has opened many doors for me and I believe it can do the same for local residents in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean,” Mears said.

When he is not competing, Mears works in a sports unit for local government as he said he loves to help others through sports.

“My role involves delivering sports and physical activity in schools, youth settings and the community for children and young people aged 6-19 and up to 25 for those with disabilities. Along with this, I organise sports competitions and festivals for schools across the school year,” the Commonwealth weightlifting finalist said. “I got into this because sports and physical activity is a powerful tool. It opened so many doors for myself and instilled so many positive skills that I want to be able to help others and show them how a positive experience in sport can improve their outcomes in life.”