 The Ministry of Youth Development and Sports recently hosted a homecoming ceremony for the Solution Spring Champion, Julian Alfred, at the VIP lounge of the Urinary International Airport. The 21-year-old track athlete, who is a senior at the University of Texas, is the NCAA Champion of the 100-meter, the 4x100-meter relay and the current record holder of the indoor 60-meter dash. Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Honourable Gibi-Anne Ferdinand, expresses appreciation for Julian's achievement on behalf of the Government of St. Lucia and Honourable Kenson Kazeme, Minister for Youth Development and Sports, who was out of state on official government business. Julian, I want to personally congratulate you. I want to give you the assurance that our government will remain committed to giving you the support you deserve, not just you want but you deserve as a young St. Lucia and doing well on international stage and continuing to make us proud. From a tourism standpoint, we understand the importance of sports tourism at this point and we know the value, especially in a post-COVID pandemic, what it can do for our country, for our economy and for the rest of our budding athletes. Director of Sports, Jim Zavi highlighted how the support for Julian is needed to get her to the next level. As I said earlier on, Ms. Alfred is on a pathway to international glory and the three agencies, the Athletics Association, the Ministry of Development and Sports, the Family and the Olympic Committee as well, we've worked together to provide that support that is needed so that the athlete could bring international glory to the country. Julian's coach in a teen years, Kovbert Twatide Modest said he never gave up on Julian, even when she told him at a young age she had lost faith in a track career. Never tell me that again! Never! You are faith in me? She said yes. You believe in me? Yes. So let's get on. All right? And I start to, you know, we keep on going, we keep on going. And when I saw she run against Acer and Roseanne at the George Audram Stadium, I told her that we are ready. We're going to get a medal. And so said, so done, you four Olympics. So I never give up on you, okay? In an interview, Julian recalled her journey and the challenges she faced to get to this point in her career. My journey per se has been, there have been highs and lows from injuries to making the soccer fries at an early age, to go to Jamaica and live by myself. And I mean, even in the NCAA Division 1 season, my past four seasons, I've been an angel a few times and it hinted me from performing at this high level. And this year, I think I went out there with a great mindset, you know, just giving my all and making sure I stay healthy throughout it all and, you know, just putting hard work throughout it. The Ministry of Youth Development and Sports says it is committed to the advancement of Julian Alfred and all of the athletes who have shown potential under the agency's elite and emerging athlete program, Marvin St. Louis, reporting from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports.