Barbados is an island nation in the western Atlantic with a population of about 280,000 and a national budget of $1 billion. The United States is a 50-state republic in the Northern Hemisphere with a population of 300 million and a national budget of $3 trillion. Guess which country helps its masters track athletes travel to international meets? You got it. Yesterday our M50 friend Dave Ortman in Seattle shared an article (with his comments) that he got from his W65 aunt, who was vacationing in Barbados.

Here’s what Dave sent us:

I am not a fan of track & field being a country medal count or pitting one nation’s athletes against another’s. I suppose it works in team sports, but in the Olympics I would rather have the top athletes in the world at the starting line or in a field event flight regardless of where they come from.
This is particularly true for the silly rule that masters athletes from the United States must wear national “uniforms” when the United States provides no support for masters track & field. The thought that the United States would have any spare money to send masters track & field athletes to world masters championships is somewhere beyond the realm of science fiction. So it is startling to see that at least one country supports masters track & field and is even willing to help finance their attendance at the “World” Huntsman Senior Games in Utah. Hats (or whatever they wear) off to Barbardos!
See the following:
“Government Support for Senior Games to Continue.”
by Petra Harvey (The Barbados Advocate, January 31, 2008).
Barbadian senior athletes are breathing a little easier today after it was disclosed that the financial support given to them from the previous administration will continue with the present one.
This message came from Dr. Hon. Denis Lowe, Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Urban Development yesterday at a presentation ceremony at the Barbados Olympic Association’s headquarters in Wildey.
Lowe was addressing the members of the senior games team that attended the Huntsman Games in Utah. Some of the members of the team were presented with tracksuits for copping the first ever Huntsman Games Team Challenge Trophy.
“Rest assured that our ministry will continue to provide support, not only for the national activities, but the international activities as well. It is our moral responsibility to make sure you get the full support of the Government, not only for the benefit of yourselves or your age group, but for our great country,” said Dr. Lowe.
Dr. Lowe also acknowledged Hamilton Lashley, who is one of the founders of the Senior Citizens Games, for all the work that he had put into making that event a success. He also stated that, he is actually looking forward to getting older.
On hand to present the athletes with their suits was Chief Executive Officer of the Huntsman Games, Kyle Case and his wife Minty Case from Utah. Case noted that Team Barbados is one of the more popular teams at the games and that many of the athletes looked forward to competing against them.
“Barbados sends its best athletes to the games and it must be noted that at the end of the games some of them end up being the best in the world,” said Case.
“In 2007 Team Barbados emerged victorious with a total of 155 points. They copped 46 medals – 17 gold, 21 silver and 8 bronze,” added Chase. He also noted that the closet competitor received 96 points.
“We hope to see you again in October where the competition will be waiting,” said Case.
Also attending the ceremony was Hon. Patrick Todd, Minister of State, Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Urban Development, Hamilton Lashley and Ruth Blackman, Permanent Secretary of Social Care.