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Watch your step' says Marion Jones
Jones delivers stirring warning to young athletes
Thursday, May 09, 2013
IT was a teary-eyed former sprinter Marion Jones who talked about the consequences of her actions and taking responsibility for them as she addressed those present at the two-day Business of Sport International Conferenceat the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel last week.
"Every choice we make has consequences, good and bad. Sometimes it is easy to underestimate what we do and how it affects those who support us — coaches, families, and fans," said Jones who owned up to her current image of disgraced Olympian and a poster child for all the wrong reasons.
JONES... every choice we make has consequences, good and bad
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The American, who fell from grace five years ago after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators in the USA about using performance-enhancing drugs during an illustrious career which saw her as the world's top 100m sprinter, spent six months in prison, which included seven weeks in solitary confinement.
"The time I spent (49 days) in solitary confinement it was a whole other level," Jones stated.
"Being in there by myself brought me to new lows. My spirit and my mind began to feel shackled as well."
The American said that it was the discovery of God and faith in Him which led her through the rough times and into what she now realises is her calling, to travel around the world speaking faith and redemption and how to lift oneself up from the lowest levels.
"Thankfully, God does not read the tabloids," said Jones. "I've been given a second chance and thankfully the final chapter on my life is not done. Sports gave me the platform to do what I'm really supposed to be doing."
Jones, who grew up in Los Angeles, was raised by a single mother after her parents divorced when she was two years old, and the subsequent death of her stepfather when she was seven years old impacted her young life.
The athlete, who is now married to Barbadian sprinter Obadele Thompson, also spoke of her marriages to disgraced athletes CJ Hunter and Tim Montgomery and said her insecurities were borne of a painful past in which she was rejected by her biological father.
That she said led her to turn her pain inwards and into sporting excellence.
"Personally and emotionally I was very vulnerable and willing to listen to anybody and everybody who was willing to prop me up. I was talented and driven, but I needed to feel secure. The people who seem to have it all often have some of the biggest personal insecurities."
Both Jones and Montgomery last competed in Jamaica at the inaugural Jamaica International Invitational Meet in May 2004, only months after Jones lied to federal investigators in October 2003.
Jones, who directed her presentation towards parents, also spoke of her Belizean mother's sacrifice so she could have more.
"I could appreciate those sacrifices even more now because I am a parent. Nothing can replace the support of your parents," the mother of two sons and one daughter said.
"It's not enough to rely on the coaches," Jones added.
The American, who entered professional basketball after her release from prison, was the youngest female athlete to make the USA's Olympic team when she did so as a 15-year-old for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She opted not to go and instead accepted a basketball scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina where she studied journalism and communications.
Her athleticism and speed soon heralded her return to track and field.
She warned about the company that one kept and the image portrayed in the world of social media.
"Be mindful of your image. Always be cautious of what you post. Don't get caught up by critics. Be mindful of what you're doing when you go out in public. Look at the company that you keep," warned the disgraced sprinter.
Jones delivers stirring warning to young athletes
Thursday, May 09, 2013
IT was a teary-eyed former sprinter Marion Jones who talked about the consequences of her actions and taking responsibility for them as she addressed those present at the two-day Business of Sport International Conferenceat the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel last week.
"Every choice we make has consequences, good and bad. Sometimes it is easy to underestimate what we do and how it affects those who support us — coaches, families, and fans," said Jones who owned up to her current image of disgraced Olympian and a poster child for all the wrong reasons.
JONES... every choice we make has consequences, good and bad 1/1 The American, who fell from grace five years ago after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators in the USA about using performance-enhancing drugs during an illustrious career which saw her as the world's top 100m sprinter, spent six months in prison, which included seven weeks in solitary confinement.
"The time I spent (49 days) in solitary confinement it was a whole other level," Jones stated.
"Being in there by myself brought me to new lows. My spirit and my mind began to feel shackled as well."
The American said that it was the discovery of God and faith in Him which led her through the rough times and into what she now realises is her calling, to travel around the world speaking faith and redemption and how to lift oneself up from the lowest levels.
"Thankfully, God does not read the tabloids," said Jones. "I've been given a second chance and thankfully the final chapter on my life is not done. Sports gave me the platform to do what I'm really supposed to be doing."
Jones, who grew up in Los Angeles, was raised by a single mother after her parents divorced when she was two years old, and the subsequent death of her stepfather when she was seven years old impacted her young life.
The athlete, who is now married to Barbadian sprinter Obadele Thompson, also spoke of her marriages to disgraced athletes CJ Hunter and Tim Montgomery and said her insecurities were borne of a painful past in which she was rejected by her biological father.
That she said led her to turn her pain inwards and into sporting excellence.
"Personally and emotionally I was very vulnerable and willing to listen to anybody and everybody who was willing to prop me up. I was talented and driven, but I needed to feel secure. The people who seem to have it all often have some of the biggest personal insecurities."
Both Jones and Montgomery last competed in Jamaica at the inaugural Jamaica International Invitational Meet in May 2004, only months after Jones lied to federal investigators in October 2003.
Jones, who directed her presentation towards parents, also spoke of her Belizean mother's sacrifice so she could have more.
"I could appreciate those sacrifices even more now because I am a parent. Nothing can replace the support of your parents," the mother of two sons and one daughter said.
"It's not enough to rely on the coaches," Jones added.
The American, who entered professional basketball after her release from prison, was the youngest female athlete to make the USA's Olympic team when she did so as a 15-year-old for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She opted not to go and instead accepted a basketball scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina where she studied journalism and communications.
Her athleticism and speed soon heralded her return to track and field.
She warned about the company that one kept and the image portrayed in the world of social media.
"Be mindful of your image. Always be cautious of what you post. Don't get caught up by critics. Be mindful of what you're doing when you go out in public. Look at the company that you keep," warned the disgraced sprinter.
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