Extra Ordinary Kids
It is an honour to introduce our readers to 10 incredibly talented Barbadians each excelling in their own domains from athletics to academics and the creative arts. Their drive, discipline and passion has already catapulted these achievers to great heights and we wish them all the best as they continue to grow and succeed. We hope that shining a spotlight on their youthful optimism and unflappable resilience will inspire our readers of all ages to reignite the same within.
Sanojah Gilkes, 16
Sanojah (Sunni) is an all-around athlete who trains 30-40 hours a week to excel in several sports. As a dual citizen, she competes for Team USA in the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon which includes swimming, fencing, running, shooting and equestrian show jumping. She accomplishes most anything she sets her mind to including progressing from being able to swim just 25 meters continuously to compete in her first 200m freestyle in three short weeks. At 15 years old she competed in her first Olympic Qualifiers and incredibly ranked 14th in a group of seasoned senior athletes. With a confidence that belies her young age, Sunni is a fierce competitor, an inspiration to her fellow Bajan athletes, and a leader in the community in and out of sport.
Ezra Simmons, 8
Ezra started golfing at the age of 4 and is well on his way to competing with some of the biggest names in the sport. His technical knowledge and insatiable thirst for golf at the young age of 8 are astonishing and will no doubt fuel his goal of playing on the PGA Tour and proudly representing Barbados on the leaderboard. His favourite club is the 7 iron and he admires Rory Mcilroy because, according to Ezra, “when he gets a hole in one he is not cocky, he is just happy.” In the past year, Ezra has played in two 9-hole tournaments placing 1st and 2nd. While practicing three days a week plus on Saturday, he remains equally focused on his academics and faith.
Eryn Toppin, 16
Eryn has been dancing since the tender age of three. With years of practice, she has continued to improve in ballet, modern, hip hop, African, acro and point. Eryn considers her dance company like family as they train intensively every and travel to represent Barbados at International dance festivals. She enjoys the escape of dance and finds performing very calming. Before dedicating most of her time to dance, she represented Barbados in gymnastics and played squash competitively. During her last year of secondary school, Eryn honed her already budding choreography skills by teaching her own choreographies to students of all ages which she plans to continue. Eryn recently earned a coveted place at the Joffery Ballet School Summer Intensive program in New York.
Keilani Talma, 16
Keilani is a force to be reckoned with in the water. At 6 years old, she started swimming competitively. Dedicating herself to nine practices a week led to her represent Barbados for the first time at age 11. She medalled at the 2017, 2018 and 2019 CARIFTAS in her favourite event, the 200m Fly. A career highlight (so far) was winning gold in 2019 on home turf in Barbados. Behind her infectious smile, Keilani is a fearless athlete who braves the ocean waves surfing, paddle surfing and kite surfing. Keilani looks forward to meeting new people and seeing the world while travelling to competitions. So far, sport has allowed her to explore throughout the Caribbean and as far as South Africa.
Chaddain Camacho, 12
Underneath Chaddain’s easy going exterior, it is clear the gears are turning at rapid pace. He is disciplined and enjoys the process of learning which has brought him great success both academically and athletically. He was awarded Top Boy at St. Angela’s primary school and has gone on to study at Queen’s College. Chaddain is a decorated swimmer having represented Barbados as well as his school. He won gold at the Purity Primary Inter-School Swimming Championship in 2019 and at the Goodwill Swim Meet in Guyana. He was awarded Victor Ludorum prior to reaching Class 4 based on his performances on the swim, football and hockey teams. During Covid, Chaddain took an online coding class through Harvard University and he plans to pursue a career in technology.
Trinity Clarke, 14
Trinity’s incredible singing voice was featured alongside several internationally renowned Bajan artists in “This Is Who We Are”, a song and video commissioned by Prime Minister Mia Motely through the NCC. Singing from the age of 4, Trinity has amassed a list of performances and accolades all over the Caribbean and North America. She was most recently awarded Youth Artist of the Year 2020 in the international Gospel Music Awards. She was crowned Female Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year, plus received Song of the Year in the Barbados Flame Gospel Awards 2020. Trinity aspires to sing professionally and represent Barbados on the international stage alongside Rihanna. She has also been chosen as a youth ambassador for the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH).
Emma, 16
Monique, 14
Asher Lashley, 12
Emma, Monique and Lashley are fierce triathletes following in the footsteps of their older sister Hannah. Asher, the youngest of the bunch, started at just 4 years old chasing after the success of his sisters. He now runs a 5km in just 17.47 and lists the run as his favourite of the three events. He joined Monique to represent Barbados at the 2019 CARIFTA games. While Emma qualified for the same games, injuries prevented her from attending for a third year in a row with Monique. All three are incredibly dedicated to their training and take great pride in representing Barbados. 4:30am wake up times are just the beginning as schedules are constantly juggled to manage additional core training in the evening along with specific training for each of the three disciplines. All three young competitors reference the mental toughness, dedication to training and self-confidence required to compete in a solo multi-disciplinary sport.
