Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, was in Miramar (a city in South Florida) at the Ansin Sports Complex for the unveiling of his new bronze statue — his first in the United States — marking a significant milestone after a record-setting career.
It is the first monument erected for Art in Public Places and Art in the Park initiatives for the city of Miramar, which is home to one of the largest Jamaican populations in the world outside of the island.
The statue, sculpted by Kingston, Jamaica, native Basil Barrington Watson, is a mimic of his famous, iconic pose which he debuted during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, where he won three gold medals and the sprint double. He leaned back and pointed to the sky after each triumph as a salute to the world.
“The kneeling pose that he has done from time to time when his knees were a little younger,” Watson said after the unveiling, “I found it very, very profound and related to the social issues that we face today. So, I took the liberty of using that pose for this monument.”
His famous quote is engraved at the base of the statue: “Anything is possible. Don’t think limits.”
To Bolt, getting to the mountaintop is one thing, but staying there is a testament to how hard he has worked. He didn’t expect to achieve the level of success that he has today, therefore his mantra, “Anything is possible,” is something he constantly reminds people of, especially young aspiring athletes.
“When I started running, especially when I got to start being coached by Glen Mills, it kind of opened my eyes … it was then I started making bigger goals,” Bolt said. “And this is how my motto actually came about. Anything’s possible. Don’t think of it. Because you always limit yourself at times. I never thought I would get to this level. … So, I’ve always told people to believe in yourself. Never let anybody tell you you can’t do this.”
Miramar Vice Mayor Alexandra P. Davis, who hosted the celebration and noticed that the city lacked art in public places, said the statue “will serve a constant reminder to all aspiring athletes.”
Bolt received the key to the city of Mirarmar at the Usain Bolt Fundraising Banquet on Friday, followed by the unveiling of his statue at the Ansin Sports Complex and witnessed the inauguration of Usain Bolt Day (July 14).
In terms of his post-retirement activities, Bolt welcomed a set of twin boys, Thunder and Saint Leo, in June 2021 with his partner, Kasi Bennett, and has been relishing his life in retirement, which recently included doing backflips off a yacht in Ibiza last month.
But he has also managed to transition his brand from a global athlete to a music entertainer. Throughout his career, he was known for his musical flair and was frequently seen dancing at the start of his races.
He created the Tracks and Records Non-Fungible Token (NFT), which features five of his athletic world records put to songs from his debut album “Country Yutes,” which was published in March.
“If you have followed my career over the years, music is something that I love,” Bolt said. “I kind of knew I was gonna do music. It was just about the right time. Due to the pandemic, I didn’t have much to do, so I kind of decided to start doing music. … I love music, and I’ll continue doing music. It’s like track and field. It takes time and dedication and that’s what we’re trying to do. Just continue to build my brand and continue to push my brand out there.”
Source: AOL
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
