PM Skerrit honors Olympic Champion Thea Lafond with $400,000 cash prize, diplomatic passports

The Olympic champion of Dominica, Thea Lafond Gadson, received a heroic welcome marked by a motorcade and celebration concert upon her return home after winning the country’s first-ever gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.

In recognition of her historic achievement, Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, during his address at the celebration concert, presented Lafond with a cash prize of $400,000 and diplomatic passports for herself and her husband. He also announced her as Dominica’s new Ambassador for International Sports. 

As Thea expressed her desire of having a proper track and field complex in Dominica so that youth can get the opportunity which she didn’t following her victory in Paris, the Prime Minister unveiled his plans to build a new Track and Field Complex in her name. 

“We are aware of your desire to have a facility that provides opportunities for track and field athletes to develop their skills, and this remains a priority on our agenda for sports development in Dominica. The government of Dominica has the designs and has already identified a location for the construction of a synthetic track,” outlined Dr Skerrit. 

He assured her and the people of Dominica that his administration will proceed with the development of and construction of this facility and upon its completion, it will be formally named the Thea Lafond Gadson track and field complex.

He also said that she was be rewarded with a piece of land in Warner comprising approximately 7459 sq ft area in the location of future housing programme, offering spectacular sea and mountain views. 

The Prime Minister also announced that Thea Lafond will be bestowed with the highest award of honour ‘Dominica Award of Honour’ during this year’s independence ceremony where she will be invited as the special guest.

While congratulating her and expressing his pride, Dr Skerrit outlined, “Your gold medal in triple jump at the Paris Olympics is not only a historical feat for our country but also a unifying moment that has inspired deep appreciation and pride among all Dominicans.”

He continued to say that, “Thea, we honour you today for your strength, determination and resilience and for lifting the name of Dominica on the global stage.”

The Prime Minister said that this victory wasn’t easy, and it came after years of dedication, hard work, and a strong belief of Thea in herself.

“You experienced some lows and may have even considered throwing it in the toil, but you remained focused and driven with your eyes set firmly on the goal of becoming a world Olympic champion,” he added.

He further emphasized that as Thea stood on the podium in Paris with the gold medal on her neck and the country’s national anthem playing behind, every Dominican’s heart swelled with pride and brought tears of joy.

Furthermore, as Thea Lafond stood on the stage during her celebration concert, she was heard shouting ‘We Did It’ while people cheered her for this huge victory. 

She said that throughout her life, she never cried but kept trying, which is why she remained determined and achieved this historic medal for herself and her country. 

Despite suffering a minor fracture in her knee and the doctor advising her to miss the Olympics, Thea said that she refused to look back and managed to win.