Here’s a thought. This story shows how USATF can increase the ranks of masters athletes: Just ask. In the Jamaica Observer, Paul Burrowes writes: “Buoyed by the presence of world masters champions Val Barnwell of the United States and Jamaican Chris Grant, the Jamaican Masters Athletic Association (JMAA) has been given a fresh lease on life. The association, headed by Dr. Maynard McIntosh, is calling for retiring and retired athletes to make the transition to masters competitions even while the JMAA seeks to resurrect business house track and field.”

The whole story, in case the link goes down:

Buoyed by the presence of world masters champions Val Barnwell of the United States and Jamaican Chris Grant, the Jamaican Masters Athletic Association (JMAA) has been given a fresh lease on life.
The association, headed by Dr Maynard McIntosh, is calling for retiring and retired athletes to make the transition to masters competitions even while the JMAA seeks to resurrect business house track and field.
Dr Maynard was speaking Thursday night at Carimed, Lady Musgrave Road, after honouring two-time world masters champion Grant.
Both Grant and Barnwell, the world masters sprint champion, will compete in the 4x100m relays at today’s Gibson Relays at the National Stadium.
“We are proposing to work with the Ministry of Health’s Healthy Lifestyle Project and with Corporate Jamaica to put business house track back on the field,” Dr McIntosh said in an interview.
“Business house track has been off the field for more than 10 years.,” added the medical doctor, who was a GraceKennedy scholar.
The masters track and field boss, at the end of the second two-year term as president of JMAA, said Jamaica’s participation in world masters competition had begun with 1952 Olympic 400m champion George Rhoden, who competed with veterans in the 1960s.
The World Masters Association caters to athletes aged 35 to 100 years old and Dr McIntosh lists current athletes such as Chris Williams, Orville Taylor and Danny McFarlane as leading Jamaicans on the 2007 World Masters performance list.
Dr Maynard said he was seeking the involvement and support of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) to revive masters track and field.
He has also sought the support of 1983 world 400m champion Bertland Cameron and 1997 World Championship silver medallist Sandie Richards to perk up the local association.
Meanwhile, guest of honour Grant, the 35-40 age group world champion in 2005 and 2007, said he always wanted to represent his country and was competing in order to stay in shape.
According to Grant, a past student of Dinthill Technical and St Elizabeth Technical, “athletes (over 35) who love track and field and want to stay healthy should come out for masters competition”.
American Barnwell, the world masters sprint champion, has offered himself as campaign manager for the JMAA, rallying Jamaica’s veterans to compete.
With six world titles and blessed with a Nike contract in his middle age, the 50-year-old Grant said, “Jamaica is known for its track and field and the world’s masters want to see Jamaicans compete and keep countries like the United States on their feet. There is no such thing as retiring in track and field and I ain’t gonna stop for nothing”.
Also speaking at the function to honour Grant were JAAA vice-president Olympian Vilma Charlton and sales manager of Abbott Laboratories, producers of nutritional drink Ensure, Claude Braithwaite.

Jamaican Chris Grant (left) poses with local women’s masters sprint champion Charmaine Daley (centre) and USA’s world masters sprint champion Val Barnwell at Carimed Thursday night. (Photos: Paul Burrowes)