We Bout Hay - You Know Da! - a look at Sada Williams
We Bout Hay! - You Know Da
23.61 seconds. That was the time. The young Sada Williams stamped her authority and established herself as the fastest school girl over 200m, having clocked a record-breaking time at the 2014 finals of the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championship (BSSAC). Head down, a clean start at the sound of the gun. In the blink of an eye, she came up on the shoulder of the athletes outside her and by the time she leaned onto the straightaway she was well clear of her competitors (“Sada Williams - BSSAC 2014”). [Link to video in bibliography]
As she approached the finish line, victory in sight, her gaze shifted to the clock. In doing so, she confirmed that she had come on a mission, one which she succeeded in by not only breaking the record but meeting the required time for the CARIFTA Games and the CAC Junior Games 2014. In that same 2014 BSSAC championship, she also definitively won the 400m (now her pet event) and broke the meet record for such as well.
Her record-breaking performance in the 200m earned her the customary walk in front of the packed stands at the Barbados National Stadium. Having witnessed the performance firsthand, I vividly remember the electricity throughout the stadium at that moment. Regardless of school affiliation, the crowd at Waterford was enamored by the talent on display. Little did we know, but we were watching the beginning of something truly special. The beaming teenager decked in the maroon and white uniform of The Coleridge and Parry School was led by sports commentator, Mr Michael Jules, his own excitement clear in his voice.
“The first thing that I asked Sada is if she likes flying because she’s gonna have some flying to do for our country.”
Mr. Jules was referring to the CARIFTA Games in Martinique but it seems Williams took that with the utmost seriousness. Since then, she has continued flying and certainly much further than the little French-speaking island a stone’s throw away from Barbados’ shores. Upon transitioning to the adult circuit, she has raced in Monaco, Zurich, Budapest and Tokyo, just to name a few.
Sada has been open about her own challenges as an athlete, including multiple injuries and transitioning fully from the 200m sprint to the 400m. But her success shows that yesterday does not determine tomorrow and that with great determination, much can be accomplished. In 2022, she brought immense joy to the hearts of Bajans who gathered together, whether in restaurants or their homes to witness history being made when she flew around the track in Birmingham, England, to confidently secure Gold at the Commonwealth Games. Two other medals: a bronze at the World Championships and a silver at the NACAC added to her impressive tally last year (worldathletics.org).
Today, she’s in Budapest, hungry for success and unapologetically Bajan. And that hunger was not to be denied with Sada copping yet another bronze World Championship medal on August 23, 2023, making her the most decorated Bajan track and field athlete in history (www.cbc.bb).
To describe each of her quarter mile runs on the international stage would take far too much time and each requires their own dedicated feature in their own right. However, the focus for today is on her historic 2014 performances at the local meet which were profound and truly key to understanding the journey of the track star. That day, she won the hearts of a few hundred in Waterford but now years later, she has captured the hearts of thousands. Her success also shows the necessity to adequately support, respect and invest in track and field in Barbados. This is particularly true considering the many others who proudly let the world know that “we bout hay!”. Dedication to the sport in their individual events is seen by the likes of Jonathan Jones, Shane Brathwaite, Layla Haynes, Kyle Gayle and Ashlyn Simmons.
Kudos to the Golden Girl Sada Williams, social media personality (iykyk) and frequent flyer on and off the track. You weren’t aware before? Well now, in the words of Bajan artiste, Chief Diin, ‘You Know Da!’
Bibliography
“After Breakthrough Season, Barbadian Sprinter Williams Is Blazing a Trail: Feature: World Athletics.” Worldathletics.Org, worldathletics.org/news/feature/sada-williams-barbados-400m-oregon. Accessed 24 Aug. 2023.
“Chiief Diin - You Know Da ( Watermelon Riddim ).” YouTube, YouTube, 6 June 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3PsYEkpX3A.
“Double Bronze for Sada Williams.” Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, www.cbc.bb/cbctest/sports/double-bronze-for-sada-williams/. Accessed 24 Aug. 2023.
“Sada Williams - BSSAC 2014 / Inter-School Sports Girls U20 200m Final.” YouTube, The Nation News, 30 Mar. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFMymK2jniQ.
“Sada Williams- BSSAC 2014 / Inter School Sports U20 Girls 400M Final - New Record.” YouTube, Dahs Entertainment, 30 Mar. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXdmHh7GD7A.