By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FOR the past 26 years, sprinter Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie has enjoyed her role as a representative for the Bahamas, winning a medal in just about every international track and field meet that she has competed in.

But after being challenged by the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations to “look for a job,” the 37-year-old has taken up the task of being an assistant coach at the University of Southern Mississippi where she will be responsible for training males and females for the Golden Eagles track and field collegiate programme.

“It’s a start. I have to start somewhere,” said Ferguson-McKenzie in an exclusive interview with The Tribune on Monday as she began her first full week, although she spent the past three weeks in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, dealing with the paperwork before everything was finalised on Wednesday.

It was during a meeting at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Open Track and Field Championships in June in Grand Bahama that Ferguson-McKenzie said the executives had informed the athletes “not to rely on the subventions” from the Bahamas Government to continue to survive.

“For the past few years, I haven’t had a full season because of injuries,” said Ferguson-McKenzie, who made it clear that she’s not officially retired yet. “This year, I was able to get myself ready for the World Championships. But after what was said in Grand Bahama, I decided to take their advice.”

Ferguson-McKenzie, who originally wanted to become a paediatrician, said she had been approached by Southern-Miss’ head coach Kevin Stephen about two years ago asking her what her plans were for life after college because he was interested in her joining the staff then.

“At first, I was reluctant because I wasn’t too keen on going to Mississippi,” she said. “But after the World Championships, I was in contact with coach Stephen and he indicated to me that the job was still open. I decided to take it. I believe that because of what the BAAA said to me, it was time to move on.”

Now the 100 and 200 metres specialist, who has represented the Bahamas at five Olympic Games from Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996 to London, England, in 2012, winning a silver in the 200m in 2004 in Athens, Greece and gold (2000 in Sydney, Australia) and silver (in Atlanta) on the women’s 4 x 100 relay team and won gold (2001 in Edmonton, Canada) and bronze (2009 in Berlin, Germany) in the 200m at the IAAF World Championships as well as gold (1999 in Seville, Spain) and silver (in Berlin) on the relay team, has began her new role at Southern Miss.

She is responsible for the pre-conditioning of about 25 athletes, inclusive of jumpers, hurdlers and sprinters. But additionally, Ferguson-McKenzie has a special project of working with a male 800 metre runner.

“When I was given the assignment, I was afraid, but a champion always finds a way to get the job done,” she said of the challenge presented to her. “The Lord brought me to this and I know that He will take me through it.”

Since stepping out on the campus, Ferguson-McKenzie said she’s been received with welcome arms.

“It’s been wonderful. I find that the kids are so excited to have me here,” she said. “They seemed to know all about me. They have been googling me and finding out all they could about me. So when we got together, they were all eager to learn what I had to teach them.

“One of the things that I tried to teach them is to have manners and respect. They’ve told me that they were so used to doing things their way,” she said. “But I’ve had to show them that manners and respect is what will take them through the world like I’ve been able to do. I think we’ve gotten off on the right foot.”

Ferguson-McKenzie, however, is peeved that she has not gotten the kind of respect that she deserves at home, especially from within the executives of the BAAA, whom she noted are not “athlete-friendly” to the Bahamian athletes that they have to cater to overseas.

“My goal was to be able to compete at home in the biggest meet that will be held at the new Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium when they host the World Relays next year,” said Ferguson-McKenzie, who was hoping to dedicate her performance to her late godfather and mentor, Thomas A Robinson.

“I competed for the Bahamas for the past 26 years running the 100 and 200 and the relay without complaining,” she said. “After a year and-a-half of being hurt, I felt like I was not given the respect that I deserved. It was like they just threw me under the bus. I’m just tired. But it’s okay. They made the recommendation to get the job and that is what I did. The problem is, the collegiate season is on until June and that means that I will have to be there with the athletes. So I don’t think that I will be home to compete in the relays. I’m really disappointed because I really wanted to compete at home in the meet.”

Ferguson-McKenzie, the most decorated Bahamian sprinter, said she was also peeved when she got a letter from the BAAA stating that her subvention was going to be reduced, all because of the fact that she was injured. She noted that she was told that it was a general letter that was submitted to all of the athletes, but she later found out that wasn’t the case.

Ferguson-McKenzie said she was forced to get ready to come back from her injuries to compete at the World Championships in August in Moscow, Russia. Although she had a faster time in the 100m than Cache Armbrister, she allowed the younger competitor to compete.

Instead, Ferguson-McKenzie decided to just concentrate on the relay where she ran a brilliant anchor leg in the heats to power the Bahamas from third to first place. Unfortunately, the team was denied the opportunity to compete in the final after getting disqualified when Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson stepped on the line running the curve on the first leg.

The team, which also included Shaunae Miller and Armbrister (on second and third respectively), was poised to win a medal in the final. Ferguson-McKenzie said she was prepared to do whatever she could to get the Bahamas on the podium because she had a point to prove to the BAAA.

“They say I was done, but the good Lord wasn’t finished with me yet. When He speaks, He speaks loud and clear,” she said. “The way I ran in Moscow, it showed that I’m not done. I was just disappointed and discouraged because this is the worst that I’ve seen it in the BAAA.”

So if you’re wondering if Ferguson-McKenzie is finished, she made it emphatically clear with the following words: “I will be competing again.”

She further noted: “I still have my summers to compete, so while I’m working, I will be getting ready to compete. I know it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m going to still work hard. I always love a challenge. I may not be home to compete at the World Relays, but I’m not finished yet. I’m going to get ready to compete this summer.”

Before she gets bogged down in the hectic work load ahead of her for her initial collegiate season in January, Ferguson-McKenzie said she will return home over the weekend of October 17-20 and will hold a press conference to lay her cards on the table as to her current state and her future aspirations.

In the meantime, coach Stephen said in a press release on Southern-Miss’ website that Ferguson-McKenzie is a welcome addition to their coaching staff.

“It is very exciting to have someone of Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie’s pedigree here at Southern Miss,” Stephen said. “She brings to the table several years of track and field experience and connections. The hard work and dedication she used to become an Olympic gold medalist will no doubt translate well to her coaching career. Her skill set fits perfectly with my vision for my programme and I see her presence being felt immediately in the area of recruiting. In addition to her r�sum�, Debbie’s high energy level, impeccable character and love for student-athletes made her a clear choice.”

The Golden Eagles hope to cash in on the experience Ferguson-McKenzie gained over the years, winning 52 medals in international competition. The 10-time Bahamas national champion in the 100- and 200-metre sprints has had a stellar collegiate career at the University of Georgia as a member of the Bulldog track team as a multiple NCAA champion before she graduated in 1999.

Throughout her career, Ferguson-McKenzie has served as a motivational speaker, mentor and teen pregnancy counsellor, working with the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls and Simpson Penn Centre for Boys as well as the Bahamas Humane Society in the Bahamas.

On the international scene, Ferguson-McKenzie has been a member of the IAAF Athlete’s Commission and conducted clinics for children in locations such as Clermont, Florida, and Lausanne and Z�rich, Switzerland and in 2002, she was nominated a goodwill ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.