Henry’s first hurricane: Tobago sprinter relives frightening experience in Jamaica

SEVERAL Caribbean athletes currently representing local schools in Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) competitions had their first taste of a hurricane when Category 5 Melissa swept across Jamaica recently.

Four Caribbean athletes are based at 10-time girls’ track and field champions Edwin Allen High — two from Grenada and one each from Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica. However, only two of them experienced the storm firsthand, as the Government of Grenada arranged a chartered flight two days before the hurricane to take its athletes home.

That was not the case for Alexxe Henry of Tobago and Kerelle Etienne of Dominica, both members of Edwin Allen’s victorious 4x100 metres relay team at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia last April. The pair had to brave the storm, marking their first encounter with a hurricane.

The Gleaner caught up with 18-year-old Henry, who recounted her frightening experience.

“For me, it was a mixed feeling. After the windy conditions on Monday (October 27), I thought it was just normal weather,” said Henry. “But everything changed the next day. Despite wanting to experience a hurricane, I became very scared on Tuesday. I had never seen such strong winds or roofs flying off buildings. It was frightening, and I started thinking about home because I was really scared.”

Henry revealed that her parents had wanted her to return to Tobago before the storm but no flights were available.

“I was just praying for the best. For two days, I couldn’t communicate with my parents, but, when I finally did, they were relieved to know I was okay,” she added.

Despite the disruption to her training, Henry remains focused on her goals for the upcoming season. She will compete in her final year in Class One at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships next year, contesting the 100 and 200 metres.

“It will be my first time competing at Champs because of the quota rule last year,” Henry said. “Coach (Michael) Dyke will make sure the team and I are ready, despite the setbacks we’ve faced this season.”

Henry, who has represented Trinidad and Tobago at the Carifta Games, Junior Pan American Championships, World Under-20 Championships, and the recent Pan Am Under-23 Championships — where her relay team finished second to Jamaica — boasts personal bests of 11.27 seconds in the 100 metres and 23.33 for the 200 metres.

She is expected to be one of the standout athletes at next year’s championships, where she will face strong competition from Shanoya Douglas, the former Muschett High sprinter who now represents Holland High.