Inspirational Campbell-Brown gives back

Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown launched her new book called “Inside Out” and was well-received by enthusiastic fans who got their copies signed yesterday at Pages Book Store located in Cave Shepherd on Broad Street.

Campbell-Brown, an eight-time Olympic medalist hailing from Jamaica was promoting her new book while in Barbados for the 2019 Caribbean High Performance Summit, being hosted by the Ross University. Other sports practitioners are also in the island.

It was a return to the island of Barbados which saw her reap success at the CARIFTA Games eighteen years ago where she claimed the 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold medals, as well as the top athlete Austin Sealy trophy. Speaking to The Barbados Advocate during the launch, the ace sprinter proclaimed the book was not just for athletes but for everyone and was written on a threefold basis of love, mental toughness and purpose.

“I talk about love, mental toughness and purpose. I wrote an inspirational book a couple of years ago but it was more poetic. I enjoy inspirational writing because I believe all of us need inspiration to strive.”

Campbell-Brown went on to say that for us to achieve anything in life, she believed that there was something that motivated and inspired a person to go forward.

“I feel that by putting some of my experiences in this book, it can help inspire and uplift others.” she explained.

There was only one challenge… and that was how long it took. The book took a long time to write because of the amount of detail that was input but Campbell-Brown announced it was a “labour of love”. When asked about writing and if this was a road she expected to travel, the Jamaican national athletics legend highlighted her fondness for writing.

“I enjoy writing and this will definitely not be my last book. I am in my transition phase because I am still trying to decide if to run a few more years or fully transition to being an author. I will continue because I think it is a very good way to tell your story while inspiring others,” she said.

Brand Manager for Duty Free Caribbean, Kay Richards welcomed Campbell-Brown to the island and thanked her for launching her book in the store. Throngs of fans and readers flocked to the store to grab a copy of her book and the humble Olympian thanked them for coming out and emotionally gave them an idea of her journey through life.

“In life we face setbacks - I have had setbacks – and through it all, God is the spirit behind everything I say and do. Before I start a race – I always say a prayer and whenever I face challenges, I find strength in the bible.”

Explaining that she was also a very spiritual person, Campbell-Brown said that she was not trying to preach religion in the book but to give inspiration based on her own experiences.