By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

OLYMPIAN Andretti ‘Da Bahamian Dream’ Bain made history when he became the first national champion in any sport for Oral Roberts University. Over the weekend, ORU recognised him for his achievement by presenting him with one of the 50th Lifetime Global Achievement Awards during its 50th Anniversary Gala on the school’s campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The athlete turned businessman and the late international evangelist Myles Munroe were the only Bahamians recognised for the significant impact that they made in the history of Oral Roberts University and in the world in positive ways as an extension of the University and its mission.

Honourees would have shown outstanding excellence or deep impact in one or more of the following areas - intellectual advancement, spiritual vibrancy, physical discipline, social adeptness, professional excellence, global focus, University support and/or healing initiative.

“When I think about all of the Bahamians who attended ORU, it’s not just about Bahamians, but persons all over the world, it’s a great feeling to be considered one of the 50 most influential persons in the history of the school was truly an honour for me,” Bain said.

During his tenure from 2007 to 2009, the St John’s graduate won the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) indoor and outdoor 400 metre national titles - the first ever for ORU. He also set numerous school and conference records and twice received recognition as the Summit League Athlete of the Year (outdoor track and field).

Bain, 29, won 11 Summit League championships and was inducted into the ORU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014. The 11-time All-American went on to represent the Bahamas at the Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in the 4 x 400m relay in 2008 in Beijing, China.

Joining Bain in accepting what has turned out to be the “most prestigious award” he has ever received, were his wife Cheryse, his grandmother Carol Young, his mother Cindy Edwards-Roberts, his father Delton Bain Jr, his in-laws Yvonne and Carl Rolle Sr and his sister Darcell Bain.

“It shows me reach in terms of my purpose in life,” Bain said. “My goal has always been to inspire persons to live a life of purpose and to actually achieve their dreams. So to me, this signifies that I’m actually on the right track for living out my purpose and it actually encourages me to press harder to try and do more, not just in the Bahamas, but globally.”

While the recipients were feted to the Gala Awards Banquet on Friday night where they received their medals of honour, Bain also participated in a groundbreaking of ORU’s first outdoor sports complex, thanks to the generosity of their donors, many of whom were honoured.

“We never had a sport complex. We always had to use one of the high school complex and once the President and the Trustees got together, they decided that if they could present athletes such as Andretti Bain without their own facilities, then it’s obvious that they need to get one,” Bain said.

“So on Saturday, we had the official groundbreaking for the new sports complex that will be on the campus and I was a part of it. I was given a commemorative shovel that I used personally for my part of the groundbreaking. I as able to bring that home with me for keepsake.”

When he’s not busy pursuing his athletic career, Bain spends his time promoting his business, Sports and Lifestyle Nutriation Store in the yellow building on Farrington Road and George Street that was opened by him and his wife in 2012, providing over the counter medications, supplements, weight loss products and vitamins as well as healthy drinks and snacks, all 100 per cent drug free.

As a note, Dr Myles Munroe, who graduated in 1978, was honoured as a gifted motivational speaker and consultant to governments and Fortune 500 companies who authored over three dozen books. He founded Bahamas Faith Ministries International and Myles Munroe International.

Munroe was the Bahamas’ youngest recipient of the Queen’s Birthday Honours of the Order of the British Empire Award for his spiritual and social contributions to the national development of the Bahamas. He received the Bahamian government’s Silver Jubilee Award for providing 25 years of service to the Bahamas in spiritual, social and religious development.

However, the world is still mourning the fatal plane crash near the Grand Bahama Airport that claimed the life of Munroe and his wife Ruth on November 9, 2014. His daughter, Charisa Munroe, accepted the award on her father’s behalf.