Golden girl Thea LaFond-Gadson, Dominica’s first Olympic medallist, was honoured with a grand welcome home motorcade and celebration concert over the weekend where she was showered with huge rewards for her gold medal Triple Jump victory at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Prime Minister Rosevelt Skerrit announced that LaFond-Gadson will receive the following rewards for the historical feat she achieved and for lifting the name of Dominica on the global stage:
A cash gift of $400,000;
Appointment as a National Sports Ambassador;
Issuance of a Diplomatic passport (courtesy of Diplomatic passport to also be extended to her husband);
Dominica’s highest national award – The Dominica Award of Honour- to be bestowed to her during this year’s Independence celebrations where she will be a special guest of honour;
A parcel of land in Warner containing 7,459 square feet in the location of the future housing project with spectacular sea and mountain views;
Track and Field facility to be built and named the Thea LaFond-Gadson Track and Field Complex.
Olympic gold medallist Thea LaFond-Gadson addressed the celebration concert where she was seen using a pair of crutches. Her husband and coach, Aaron Gadson, explained in an Instagram post that Thea had a minor procedure to fix some cartilage damage in her knee. He said it was damaged since February but despite this she became world and Olympic Champion. He said she needs to stay off her knee for 6 weeks but will be able to train in time to defend her world title.
Thea in a speech to Dominica said her parents raised her with the mentality, ‘we do not cry, we try.’
She noted earlier this year in February, before the World Indoor Championships, she realised her knee was starting to hurt and realised she could still jump through it, and instead of crying, she tried and jumped at the Worlds and won a gold medal.
Later on, she got an MRI scan on her knee which found there was a small fracture in her cartilage. She was told by her doctor in order to fix it she would either need to stop jumping for three months and miss the Olympics, or deal with it after the Olympics.
Thea chose the latter as she pointed out she realised she could manage. “I did not cry, I tried.”
She said through the discomfort, through any pain, she persevered and won.
“I come before you humbly today asking for your pardon of my wobble on my crutches. I am one-week post cartilage repair surgery, I will be fine in a couple of months, but the plan is going exactly the way we want it.”
She thanked everyone who supported her journey.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also thanked the three other athletes who represented Dominica at this year’s Olympic Games and announced that as a gesture of appreciation, Dennick Luke, Warren Lawrence and Jasmine Schofield will be granted $20,000 each.