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THREE-TIME Olympic hurdler Mikel Thomas became the first TT national to complete the International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS) Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Administration and Technology.
The 32-year old began his Masters in 2019 and spent over 15 months at the Olympic capital in Lausanne, Switzerland, pursuing his academic and sporting dream.
Throughout this duration, Thomas was financially assisted by the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) and also set up a gofundme account to acquire the remaining funds needed to complete the course. Altogether, the programme tallied a whopping US$34,000.
Owing to an outstanding balance on school fees, the three-time national hurdle champion was unable to attend his class graduation ceremony on Thursday.
That day, Thomas posted an emotional video to social media expressing sadness with his inability to graduate alongside his 28 other classmates.
A heavy-hearted Thomas pointed out that very few minorities are given the opportunity to be a part of this exclusive programme. The athlete’s academic pursuit was fueled by his passion to go against the norm.
However, in an updated post, on Friday, Thomas was pleased to announce that the TTOC cleared his outstanding bill which allowed him to earn his Masters in Advanced Studies in Sport Administration and Technology.
In his second post, Thomas said, “What I was hoping to be a little bit of funds that was supposed to come in, I’ll be honest and say, the TTOC stepped in and went exceedingly and abundantly.
“Today I can come to you and say that my bill is paid. Although I was not able to participate in graduation, I am a graduate with a Master’s degree from an international institution. And I have to thank every single person who prayed, donated and shared the campaign I used to try to raise some funds.”
Thomas acknowledged the TTOC’s timely intervention. Still a bit lost for words, the Swiss-based hurdler urged fellow athletes to not give up the fight to achieve their dreams.
Devastated with his inability to graduate one day prior, Thomas reassured himself that challenging situations may not always finish, be or manifest in the way that you expected or wanted.
But, sometimes these experiences can still exceed expectations when there seems to be no alternative solution.
He added, “This is crazy to think that uh…It’s been a long road, I tried really hard. And now, it’s done, it’s finished. It doesn’t always look the way you want it to look but God is always on time.
“And what I thought was going to be a few dollars to help move the needle, it’s now paid in full. But that’s the Lord that we serve.
He concluded, “Huge thanks to the TTOC and IOC (International Olympic Committee) for stepping in. They’ve always been supportive of my career and now I’m transitioning. This plays such a vital role in pouring back into our nation and I’m just going to do my very best to raise our flag in your arenas.”
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