In the spotlight with Raymond Stewart
2/15/2007 12:00:00 AM
Feb. 15, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas - GoFrogs.com recently caught up with former TCU track and field star Raymond Stewart who still makes his home in Fort Worth.
Stewart was a four-time Olympian and three-time NCAA Champion. Stewart competed for Jamaica in the 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympics. He was a finalist in the 100 meters in 1984, 1988 and 1992 and was the youngest male (age 19) to race in the 1984 finals. Stewart won the silver medal in the 4x100 relay at the 1988 Olympics.
What did you enjoy most about your time at TCU?
"It was a very laid back time for me as an athlete because it was such a good environment. Track was obviously one of the reasons I was here and I really enjoyed my time on the track. My coach Bubba Thornton was great and I wouldn't trade him for any other coach at this point. He made it so comfortable for me and other athletes. TCU just provided a great atmosphere for athletes."
What was it about TCU that prepared you most for the rest of your life?
"TCU was a completely different scenery for me coming from Jamaica. It was a big change and making the adjustment helped me adjust to other situations in life. When I first stepped in the door, I either had to adapt to the change or it wasn't going to work. I am a fast learner and I figured out that if I want to do what I am here to do, I might as well change and adapt to the system here. I had to accept the fact that I'm not at home anymore. TCU was the place that helped me grow. Bubba (Thornton ) was also an inspiration to me and he taught me a lot of life lessons."
Why did you choose to attend TCU?
"One of the main reasons was the weather and it shouldn't be hard to figure out why. I grew up my whole life in warm weather where I didn't have to worry about snow or much rain. It was nice weather pretty much the whole time. Fort Worth pretty much has warm temperatures the whole time and I figured that the university had a lot to offer at that time. I told coaches that I needed somewhere warm and that I don't need to go to a fridge right now. Coaches would say they have an indoor facility, and I would tell them I wanted to go to a place where I could run freely and not stop by running into a wall. That (the weather) was the No. 1 factor in me coming here.
"Getting a chance to talk with Bubba and getting a chance to know him really helped because he is a positive person. Also during that period of time I had another kid with me at the time from the same high school named Andrew Smith and a lot of other coaches didn't want to recruit him. I wanted to find somebody that would take Andrew and me. Everybody wanted me only and no one was willing to give him (Smith) a chance to show that he had the potential. The decision of Bubba to give Andrew a chance to come to TCU helped me come to TCU."
You still live in Fort Worth, what are the reasons for still calling Fort Worth home?
"When you are at a place for a while and you get so used to it ... making changes can sometimes be a little complicated. At the time I was still competing, so I thought the only other place I'd be interested in living that would be closer to home would be Florida, but I had already established myself at TCU. I am still traveling to Europe a lot and I spend most of the summer over there, so I'm not here that much. I enjoy Fort Worth and it has been a good place to live."
Do you still follow the TCU program?
"I will always be a diehard TCU fan. I always correspond with the coach there and I am always looking for a kid I can tell the coaches about. I always want to see young kids go there (TCU) and do well and have the success we had back when I was there."
What are your impressions of the program coach Darryl Anderson is building at TCU?
"When you are a new coach coming into a system that has already been established over a period of time and you come in to uphold the reputation, it isn't an easy road. You will go through a lot of bumps and grinds, but how you handle it and how you deal with the actual individuals will show if you can put it together and continue the tradition. I think he has done a good job in the time he has been there.
"He is a great person and you can talk to him about anything. Building the type of program like we had back then is going to take a little while. It is going to be tough, but he has the work ethic to do it."
What is your occupation now that you are done running?
"I actually coach a few individuals. I will also work with the Jamaican National Team and will help coach them before big competitions. They will call me to come down and if things work out, I usually try to help whenever I can. I've also had a few offers from a couple European countries to be their national coach, but I don't want to get into something like that unless I know it is concrete."
