BARRY FORDE—WHEN PASSION MEETS DETERMINATION

If there were any Barbadians who managed not to find themselves in front of a television set on the afternoon of August 23, 2004, it had to be because they simply had no choice but to be elsewhere. This was the day we’d all been waiting for, the day when our own Barry Forde would take to the track for competition in the Men’s Sprint Quarterfinals of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and allow the rest of the world to see what we’ve known for years — Barry Forde is a tremendously gifted cyclist and one of the best in the world.

What drove us to our television sets with our hearts full to bursting with pride, prayers on our lips and fingers clenched, was the fact that we knew this was Barry’s time, this was Barry’s year. This was the day when the “youngster” from “little” Barbados would show the world what could happen when passion meets sheer determination and commitment.

We knew this was no “flash in the pan”; Barry’s light had been burning brightly for years. Born in Barbados on September 17, 1976, Barry began his racing career at the age of ten, competing as a BMX rider. By the time he turned 16, he’d claimed the BMX National Championships, and had been crowned champion of the Match Sprint, the 1000 Kilometer and the Pursuit. He’d also placed his inimitable stamp on the Caribbean cycling scene winning the Caribbean BMX Championships in 1992.

As Barry dominated cycling in Barbados and the Caribbean, it was no surprise when he began to make waves in the sport at the international level. In 1996 he won gold in both the Match Sprint and Keirin at the International Cycling Union’s World Small Country Championships held in Cuba. Two years later, he emerged as gold medallist in the Match Sprint at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Venezuela, and followed up with an impressive bronze in the Match Sprint at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

Over the next few years Barry continued to impress cycling enthusiasts both at home and abroad with stirring performances at the Pan American Games in Canada (1999), the Pan American Cycling Championships in Colombia (2000 and 2001) and Ecuador (2002), and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester (2002).

Barbadians willingly embraced the rare opportunity of seeing him in action at home during the 2001 West Indies v Rest of the World in which he won gold in both the Match Sprint and Keirin events. Two years later, he again competed in the West Indies v Rest of the World event with a record-breaking gold medal performance in the Match Sprint and claimed the bronze in the Keirin.

All of this flashed across our minds as we eagerly watched Barry prepare to take on his competitor at the Athens Velodrome.

And as we screamed ourselves hoarse “Go Barry, Go!” and all of our collective minds, bodies and souls surged to propel him forward, we flashed like lightning on the scene of his fall in Sydney, Australia earlier in the year and our prayers went up for his safe passage.

Barry did not stand on the medal podium at the Olympic Games in Athens, but our hearts soared with love for and heartfelt pride in this indomitable spirit whose determination is matched only by his humility and grace, even in defeat. As we watched the familiar yellow-clad fist reach out to congratulate his competitor, the lumps in our throats and the sting of tears were far from bitter. In our eyes Barry Forde won at Athens that day; he stood tall and made us undeniably proud as we acknowledged his tremendous achievement — sixth in the Match Sprint in the Olympics!

Whatever his challenges his recent times Barbadians continue to hold Barry in the highest regard. Off the track, he is regarded as a true ambassador for this tiny island of 166 square miles, and stands as an icon for hundreds of young people who see him as living proof of what can be achieved when passion meets determination.

Article written by Cheryl Gill-Eversley June 2005
Edited by author November 2008