The Ardenne Alumni Foundation’s Optima 5K Walk/Run continues its upward trajectory, with the third staging of the event surpassing expectations and solidifying its place as a growing fixture on the local road-racing calendar.
Held on Sunday, February 1, the event exceeded its ambitious target of 1,000 registrations, a milestone that organizers described as a defining moment in the initiative’s short but impactful history.
On the course, defending champion Garfield Gordon once again proved his consistency, retaining the men’s title, while newcomer Dandi Williams announced herself in emphatic fashion by capturing the women’s crown in her first appearance.
“Every year it gets bigger and bigger”
Flo Darby, chairperson of the Ardenne Alumni Foundation, reflected with pride on the expanding reach of the event and the groundswell of community support.
“It was amazing. We got a lot of people, a lot of support. We have grown! Every year it gets bigger and bigger, and so this year I was so delighted at the number of persons who came out,” Darby said.
That growth, she emphasized, is translating directly into long-term development for the school.
Wellness Center plans approved and handed over
In a moment that symbolized the deeper purpose behind the Optima 5K, Darby formally handed over the approved plans for Ardenne High School’s proposed wellness center to the institution’s acting principal.
“We got the approval on Friday from the KSAMC, and it was such a delight. We have been waiting a long time for it because, as you know, schools have special particulars that they have to deal with and so we had to make sure that everything was in place. We have now done it and now we have our plan approved,” she said, beaming.
Construction to begin this school year
Dr. Jacqueline Pinto, acting principal of Ardenne High School, praised the level of participation and confirmed that the project is now poised to move from planning to execution.
“For this year, the Optima 5K, I am very, very grateful for the attendance of the members who participated. It is much more than we had last year, we are aware that over 1,000 persons have registered and we should have had about 800 here,” Pinto noted.
She added that construction is expected to begin within the current academic year, pending board approval.
“We got the plans for the construction of our wellness center, it was presented by the chairperson of the Ardenne Foundation to the school and we will be, with board approval, commencing the construction in this school year. We are grateful for all the financial and human resources support that we can get because this wellness center will be a benefit to the children of Jamaica, not only Ardenne High School and the staff members… because we are going to have a wellness center that is state of the art and the best in the Caribbean that can be a model for other educational institutions,” she said.
Extending support beyond Ardenne
The reach of the Optima 5K extended well beyond Ardenne High School, with Westwood High School emerging as a major beneficiary. Principal Karen Francis expressed heartfelt appreciation after receiving a donation of J$1.1 million to assist with post-hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.
“I am truly elated as Ardenne Foundation has donated to us $1.1m for our post-hurricane Mellisa relief efforts. We are truly thankful to the foundation and through the instrumentality of Mrs. Esther Tyson, former principal, for this donation. This will definitely be used to assist us in our rebuilding efforts and we are truly, truly grateful. We give God thanks, and we are happy for this contribution to our school,” Francis said.
A race built on energy and execution
Race Director Alfred Francis of Running Events Jamaica pointed to execution and atmosphere as key drivers of the event’s continued growth.
“We have seen significant growth with this event, and I know that it will continue to grow. The energy that’s here is just all positive and it has turned out to be a wonderful morning. That’s the marketing strategy. Execute a well-done race and that markets itself,” he said.
He added, “I know a lot of persons who came here this morning had a good time, the weather was right for running and the energy was good in itself, here at Ardenne.”
Champions reflect on challenge and cause
For Garfield Gordon, successfully defending his title came with its own set of challenges.
“This year I was cautious and the breeze made the route a bit harder because it was heavy, but I feel good that I got the win. The main aim was to come out and defend the title, so I am feeling really good. The cause is going towards wellness, so it’s a good cause,” he said.
Women’s champion Dandi Williams, meanwhile, embraced both the terrain and the conditions.
“I love the route, I love the uphill challenge, I think the uphill was at the right time and so the ending was good as well because I was coming down so it was a good race overall. I didn’t mind the wind to be honest,” she said.
Williams also encouraged broader participation in future editions.
“I would definitely recommend this 5K, especially for the cause, because we are all about rebuilding the West. Definitely, I would encourage other people to support it next year.”
Olympians lend star power and support
The event also benefited from the presence of several Jamaican Olympians, including Ardenne alumnus Brandon Simpson.
“I think it was an awesome turnout, every year it seems to be growing exponentially, we hope that this can continue. As long as we can help and support both Westwood (High) and the students of Ardenne High, coming up, I think it’s an awesome, awesome venture,” Simpson said.
Fellow Olympian Maurice Smith echoed that sentiment, highlighting the wider community impact.
“The purpose of the initiative is to build a wellness center and support Westwood (High) and I think a wellness center is not just for one place, it can support a whole community. Calabar and Ardenne are doing things together as well… so I really like the initiative,” he said.
Olympian Chris Taylor, another Calabar standout, was also in attendance, lending his support to the Optima 5K’s growing mission.
