[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s the dust settled and golden girl Levern Spencer made her press rounds post her hero’s welcome back home, the question sprouted: How will Saint Lucia pat the star athlete on the back? The consensus on the April 23 edition of Street Vibes on DBS was that the following would be most appropriate: house and land (popular vote); rename one of her old schools in her honour; appoint her as head of coaching for other young athletes; give one of our highways her name; erect at Serenity Park a statue in her honour.
As for Spencer, when asked by a reporter how she might feel about the Chastanet government doing in her name something similar to what had been done for Daren Sammy, she said, “I think that would be a great honour. I don’t think there’s anything named after me except Levern Spencer Drive. I have achieved a lot for the country so I think it’s probably something well deserved and hopefully it can be realized.” The Kenny Anthony government renamed the Beausejour Cricket Grounds after Sammy in 2016.
Thus far, Spencer has received from the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee a $10,000 cheque, presented to her on April 19, the day of her return home from the Commonwealth Games. Her long-standing relationship with FLOW was also strengthened when the telecommunications company ceremoniously “renewed” their supportive partnership and presented to Spencer a new mobile phone.
“In my speech yesterday,” said Spencer on the occasion, “I also said it was unfortunate that my manager was not
able to be with me in Australia. But thanks to FLOW and technology, we were able to keep in touch.”
FLOW’s acting country manager Anselm Mathurin added, somewhat cryptically: “We know that over the last 24 hours, maybe the next three months, she will be receiving overtures from all corners.”
A week prior, the athlete’s local manager Gregory Dickson informed the STAR that Spencer’s stop in Saint Lucia would be brief. Right after the Commonwealth Games she returned to her training in preparation for upcoming tournaments. He also advocated adequate support of local athletes, and offered his thanks for whatever the government and other organisations were able to provide. Dickson emphasized that it makes a world of difference when an athlete doesn’t have to worry about expenses and can concentrate strictly on training.
