Balances sport, studies, and community support as he trains in Jamaica, aiming to inspire the next generation at home

TWENTY-one-year-old Akandy Vammaalson is a young Guyanese athlete seeking to prove that success can be both self-built and community-backed. Leaving Guyana to study just a few months ago, Vammaalson is a talented and promising track athlete, lighting up the tracks at his university in Jamaica. Venturing into his first semester with funds raised by both his community of Buxton and himself, Vammaalson completed it. Now heading into his second year, he faces a familiar issue: funding. Although his grades and track performance have been successful, school tuition remains a hurdle. Now, Vammaalson is appealing to the public for support. Moreover, his reasoning for asking for support is as simple as it is inspiring: his pursuit of sport is bigger than just himself, says Vammaalson, adding that he aims to return to Guyana to continue sport development at home, to teach, train, and inspire young athletes like himself.

Born and raised in Buxton, Vammaalson learned responsibility and commitment at an early age. Due to an absent father and the death of his mother when he was just ten years old, Vammaalson was raised by his grandmother. “I grew up with my grandmother because my father was a doctor and my mother died when I was ten years old. I grew up with my grandmother and my siblings, and I went to Buxton Secondary School. My uncle was a father figure to me, and my grandmother was always there for me. I listened to them and obeyed them. It was not so hard, but it was tough.” While it was challenging, Vammaalson said his childhood shaped his resilience and cultivated a commitment that would fuel his success.

Vammaalson’s step into track and field happened through another sport: football. As he explained, football was a staple game in Buxton in his early years, and a young Vammaalson fell in love with it, eventually playing professionally with some of Guyana’s most recognisable football teams. “I used to play football. When I was small in primary school, I used to run for fun. When I went into secondary school, I still ran for fun, sports day, just running for hours, and I used to do good. I loved football, but when I made nationals in Form Five, the coach told me I could go far in running and get scholarships. I decided to do both running and football, but the football coach told me I had to choose one. I chose running because I get more opportunities from it. That’s how I started running.”

Vammaalson’s journey to Jamaica was an interesting one. While he did not have a scholarship, Vammaalson impressed a coach with just his talent, initially asking to attend a high school but later being admitted to a college due to his age. “I contacted a coach from Jamaica, a high school coach, but he said I was too old because I was 19 and could not go to high school. I had to go to a college. He told me not to worry and that he would be in contact with a friend for me. I contacted the coach again, we talked, and we signed up with the school.” Today, Vammaalson is a student of the G.C. Foster College of Education and Sport, an institution focused on sport development across an array of areas. Vammaalson is pursuing a degree in Physical Education and Sport.

While inspirational, Vammaalson’s move to Jamaica was challenging, with the biggest hurdle being tuition fees. This is where he says his community, faith, and family became his pillar, as he raised the majority of the funds through fundraising and the rest through work and savings, an impressive feat at just twenty-one years old. “I had to pay US$9,000 for the first year and another US$9,000 for the second year. I wasn’t having the money, but God ended up providing. I raised US$5,500, and I decided to work to try to get through.” Getting off the plane in Jamaica last year was a dream come true for Vammaalson, despite the challenges of being in a new country on his own for the first time in his life. “I was excited because Jamaica is a good sports country, and they love sports. I wanted to train with people better than me and build myself stronger mentally and physically. I was excited to train with the pros. It was scary at first because I was leaving home and coming to a place where I did not know anyone, but afterwards I loved it and started getting to know people.”

Although he balances sport with classes, Vammaalson says his days, while long, are fun for him. Sharing what a day split between classes and the track looks like, he added that he wakes up in the wee hours of the morning to head to training. After training, it is a rush against time to get to his classes. “Some days I wake up at 5:30 to train, or 6:30. Training usually finishes around 7:30 or close to 8, and school runs from 8:00. Sometimes I go to school tired, but I fight through it and get through it,” he shared. This display of commitment is what has fuelled Vammaalson’s success. Highlighting the advancement he has made in his training, he shared that he has become faster and more committed. “I’ve improved a lot since leaving Guyana. When I left, I wasn’t in good shape and wasn’t really fit. When I came to Jamaica, training was hard, and sometimes I couldn’t finish the programme, but I stayed consistent and disciplined. Now I can finish the programme and train with people faster than me, and I know I’ve improved a lot.”

While Vammaalson is excited and hopeful about the development of sport infrastructure in Guyana, he shared that public support remains one of the biggest hurdles threatening progress and one of the reasons he ventured to Jamaica in the first place. “When someone gets the support they need, it boosts them and helps them perform better. Even when you feel down, support makes you want to do it for the people supporting you,” he shared. Vammaalson is seeking that support more than ever right now. With the semester already underway and his tuition still unpaid, he is appealing to Guyanese. “For my second semester, I’m facing financial challenges. I need US$3,500 for this semester, and next year, for year two, it will be US$9,000. So far, people from Buxton have helped me, and I’ve raised about US$1,100.”

Vammaalson hopes his call will go beyond Buxton, as he aims to inspire other young athletes that sport is a viable avenue. Those seeking to help Vammaalson on his journey can donate via MMG number 665-8768, Demerara Bank Account: Akandy Vammaalson Account #: 006002173383, or through his GoFundMe page. Vammaalson’s story and goal reflect commitment and big-picture dedication. “It is important to me to finish this degree because I am not really doing this just for myself. I am doing it for the younger kids growing up. If I get an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in coaching, I can coach and help bring up younger youths who love sports.”