Esther Maynard: The Pride of Women in Sports

A journey which started like someone dropping a pebble in a pond that continued to ripple has led Esther Maynard BSS to be considered one of the most outstanding women in sports in Barbados.

This continuing journey has not gone unnoticed as she was honoured by the Women in Sport Commission at the Barbados Olympic Centre recently for her outstanding and excellent contribution to the world and sport and the female movement in sport.

In 2002, Mrs Maynard was the recipient of the Barbados Service Star for her contribution to Sport. She also received two awards from the International Olympic Association, in1991 Award for the Outstanding Contribution by a Woman to Olympic Sport in Barbados and the 1999 Award for Education and Sport in Barbados.

She has been inducted to the Central American and Caribbean Hall of Fame in 2010 and in 2013, she was awarded the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Plaque of Merit for meritorious service to the cause of world athletics. She is only one of few women to have received this honour in the Pan American Region.

Recalling the start of her journey, Maynard said that “it wasn’t even somebody in sport,” who got her going but “it was a nun from the order of the Good Shepherd who gave me the confidence to dream dreams.”

With that confidence she was then given the pathway she was working so hard for, which was when an English Physical Education teacher saw her attributes, hard work and work ethics fitting for a full scholarship.

 “My passion was – I wanted to see more women in Barbados trained in Physical Education in Barbados,” Maynard said.

It was such a passion that she did her special study in that area - now called in modern academics – a thesis. 

“Looking back at it now it was woefully inadequate but that was the start of my journey,” she added.

Expressing gratitude to everyone who has been part of her development and mentorship, she said that because she was often the forerunner the people that mentored and pushed her were men; starting locally with Sir Austin Sealy and branching out from there.

“The journey has been long but it is still a journey, and I have no intention to hang up my boots yet as long as I can make a contribution.

“I love young people and I am quite happy mentoring boys and young men as I am young women because unless we bring them along with us we are not going to succeed in this equality. They have to see it as not being pushed out, but being embraced and learning to embrace our values and practices on equality.”

One of the key areas Maynard emphasised was that – nothing can be done in isolation or on your own.

“I cannot say that I have done it on my own. Nothing that I have achieved could have been done on my own. It was always with people and for people. I just happened to be the luckiest human on earth, as everything I ever dreamed of happened.”

She mentioned those who were there at the start of the journey such as Kathy Harper-Hall, who for over 40 years people have mistaken her for on countless occasions and vice versa.

Her challenge to young people and women in sport is to embrace each other and to share their knowledge and experiences.

“Shared knowledge... it grows, it means you have more people that can get involved and do things with you, and for you, within the movement. No man is an island, no woman is an island.

“It is a great feeling to know that you can make a difference and that should be our aim in life. I always say that anything you do other people must benefit from. Money is no good unless it is doing good!” she added.