Page 18 - Team TTO PARIS 2024

This country’s most successful
female sprinter, Michelle-Lee Ahye
is excited about heading to Paris
for what looks like her Olympic
swansong.

“It’s always an honour to represent
Trinidad and Tobagoand the
Olympics is the biggest stage. It’s
my fourth, and most likely my last
so I want to go out positively and
make it to the final in the 100m and the 4x100m.”

Ahye was just 20 when she made her Olympic debut In Paris, she will lead the relay team and line up alongside
in London in 2012. “That first Olympics, I had so many Akilah Lewis, Leah Bertrand and Sole Frederick. “I’m
emotions, it was a lot,” she said. “But now, I treat each hopeful for the relay team, you know in relays anything can
race as just that – another race.” She also revealed happen on the day, so you can’t discount anyone,”
she didn’t always apply herself as a young athlete. she said “I know Leah and Akilah well but I’ve never worked
with the twins (Sole and Sanaa Frederick) so I’m looking
“I didn’t like to train, I didn’t take things as seriously as forward.
I should have but seeing how other athletes were
training so hard and succeeding, I became inspired to As she reflected on her career, she acknowledged the
give my all.” TTOC’s role in her success. Ahye has been awarded the
TTOC sportswoman of the year on several occasion, most
She points to Rio 2016 where she reached the final in recently in 2023. “The Olympic Committee has always
both the 100m and 200m as her favourite Olympics been in my corner. They have listened to me and
Games. “I loved Rio, the energy was really good and there I won’t forget their support in 2016 when I needed to do
wasn’t any unnecessary stress. We had really good vibes foot surgery and they helped with the costs.”
on the team and the relay team got along very well.”
Her unrelenting hero however, is her mother Raquel who
The 2018 Commonweath Games 100m champion has she described as “awesome”. As an only child, this
been quietly training in Trinidad for about a year. And relationship has been a crucial pillar in her life.
though she’s quite unassuming, she’s easily recognisable “My mom has been there for me all the time. Through all
by her fiery red dreadlocks and well-inked body. It’s my ups and downs, I know I could count on her to be in
therefore not unusual that people approach her to say my corner. She is my biggest cheerleader.”
hello and give their best wishes. “I’ve found that when I
go to the grocery, for example, people have approached Michelle-Lee Ahye sounds almost zen about the task that
me and said how much they want me to succeed. They lies ahead. “I’m happy about how life is going. I’ve been
tell me to continue working hard and keep flying the flag.” working on my mental health, I hope to stay healthy and
have a very successful end to my Olympic season.
Although her training back home has been going well,
she believes more needs to be done for locally-based When pressed on whether 2024 will indeed be her last
athletes. “Things have improved, but there’s still work to Olympics, the Carenage girl responded, “I intend to
be done,” she said. “Athletes need better facilities for compete in the Worlds next year, but I want to get on with
training and recovery, better support systems and there starting a family and living life. I’ve done so much and it’s
must be better communication between athletes and time for the younger athletes to come through.”
officials.”

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