By Michelangelo Jacobus

IN 2017, 17-year-old Daniel Williams announced himself as a future star on the international scene in a manner that was nothing short of phenomenal. Against all odds he did so at the World Under-18 Championships in July, 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya,

Williams ran a personal best time of 46.72s to win a silver medal and stun the world.

Born in the mining town of Linden, Daniel started taking part in athletics at the Primary school level where he excelled. His success was transferred into the secondary level and he became a constant figure at the National Schools Athletic Championships.

In 2017, he became the most decorated athlete at the National Schools Championships, owning records in the High Jump, 100M, 200M and 400M, competing in the U12, U14, U16 and U18 categories.

The tenacious track star revealed his potential in April 2017 when he placed second in the 400m at the CARIFTA Games in Curacao. However, his elation was short lived as he was soon after disqualified for lane infringement.

After that setback, he buckled down and would later make amends in front of his home crowd. Showing a mental fortitude that belied his age, Williams came up against the best from this continent and won a silver medal in the same event at the South America Youth Championships.

Daniel’s talent however is not limited to the track. He attended the Mackenzie High School (MHS) in Linden, and in 2015, he found success at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations, gaining a Grade One pass, four Grade Twos and three Grade Threes in his eight subjects.

Williams would later move to Sixth Form at the same institution, where he completed Unit One at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). Daniel also harbours aspirations of studying Mechanical Engineering. However he is currently a University of Guyana student pursuing a degree in Computer Science.

In 2018 the young athlete has firmly set his eyes on CARIFTA Games glory in the Bahamas and the World Junior Championships with the aim of bringing home gold for Guyana at both events.