CAYS Foundation campers and staff with Cayman’s current discus and hammer throw record holder, Michael Letterlough

Young men attending the Children and Youth Service (CAYS), the foundation’s first summer camp at the East End Civic Centre, were fortunate to hear a local track and field record holder talk on achieving the best in life.

Michael Letterlough, a member of the Cayman Islands track and field team, and holder of current discus and hammer event records, took time out on Thursday morning (31 July) to speak to young campers.

He is briefly home from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, where he is currently training to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. His visit was a tool to help the CAYS foundation fulfil its goal of empowering
youth and family members who are lacking motivation.

Highlighting the importance of listening to one’s heart, rather than focusing on unconstructive criticism, Letterlough referred to the common bee. He said that a Harvard study on the aerodynamics of a bee’s anatomy concluded that bees should not be able to fly. “But,” he said, “apparently no one from Harvard informed the bees.”

And while he too has not found overcoming obstacles and achieving success to be easy, he explained that he has nevertheless managed to achieve. A graduate from Florida International University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in finance, he is a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity.

Asked his opinion on the current status of Cayman’s youth and society as a whole, Letterlough responded, “Young people in Cayman need to be guided in the right direction and that starts in the home.

“Parents have a responsibility to raise offspring in a positive environment so that when they in turn have children, they can continue the trend,” he said. Letterlough credited his own grandmother, Elizabeth Bodden, for helping to keep him on course and providing ongoing motivation.

Letterlough also noted that positive role models, such as track and field star Ronald Forbes, who qualified for the 2008 Olympics in the 110-meter hurdles, are key figures in the community and need opportunities to connect with young Caymanians. “We have good role models in Cayman, but they need to be seen.”

For his own part, he doing all he can to be seen, encouraging youth to make positive societal contributions. Representing Cayman has been his most wonderful experience to date, he says, adding he would love more young Caymanians to achieve similar feelings by achieving their own goals.

“I can tell you that there’s nothing better than standing on the podium with our flag wrapped around my shoulders. It’s a great feeling, but this is a close second,” he says jokingly about the foundation’s camp.

Letterlough is taking his responsibility seriously as a representative of Cayman’s athletics. “I plan on continuing to speak at camps and comparable functions, for that is just as much my duty as representing Cayman.”

The CAYS Foundation camp has worked specifically with the Frances Bodden Girls Home and the Bonaventure Boys Home this summer. Campers graduated Friday, 1 August in East End.