By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 3rd October 2024)-Team St. Kitts and Nevis recently secured success at the 2024 FIRST Global Robotics Olympics, officially ranked 20th out of 180 countries and holding first place in the Caribbean following the event held in Athens, Greece (located in southeast Europe) from 26th to 29th September at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
The team-The St.Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association (SKNRA) appeared on Freedom FM’s ‘Issues’ edition with host Jamiella McPhail on Thursday 3rd October 2024 to discuss their journey whereby spotlight was placed on the team’s leadership under the guidance of new captain Jaiden Clarke who in turn applauded the team’s togetherness.
Although the team did not make it to the finals, their hard work, creativity, skills and commitment is being recognised nationally, regionally and on the global scale for the current ranking position.
Asked about the first time experience of being in charge as the team captain, Clarke commented: “…there wasn’t really any pressure. I had the confidence in the team, in everyone, so the pressure was not really there. I knew I could depend on my team if a problem had to occur, problems did occur, and my team did what my team does and we got over it.”
He reflected on their overall experience, saying: “For me, the experience was similar to everyone, but as of last year, it was a bit more stressful. But this year, we went with our robots, completed, finished, and working. So it was not as stressful as to say we have to get it done, get it working… but we had some problems during the event, but we came over them and we got through it. So even that made the event so much better. It was less stressful. We made friends and it was fun.”
Clarke’s leadership was praised in the team’s success, and his team members gave recognition to such his dedication.
According to Hannah Marie Williams (Public Relations Officer) “…, our team captain, he probably wouldn’t really like to admit to it as much, but especially in the preparation before, he really put in the extra work above and beyond probably what the rest of us regular members did. He always made sure that we kept track of all of our deadlines. He was always there working the latest and stuff. Even after I go home, he’s still there. And especially since he’s from Nevis, you know, I just find it really commendable that he always puts in the hours. And especially when he couldn’t come [to meetings], he always made sure to keep up with what was going on.”
Another team member, Leah Jeremiah, highlighted Clarke’s organizational skills and hands-on approach in putting together a to-do list for the team, noting he “created a list of what needs to be done, and then you would have to call him and show him what you did.”
Host Jamiella McPhail then acknowledged Clarke’s role in ensuring the team was well-prepared as she chimed in saying to him “So I think you can be credited for the fact that the robot was ready early.”
SKNRA Chairman and Founder Dr. Ricardo R. Neil, was full of praise for the young leader: “I think a lot of credit must be given to Jaiden because he put a lot of work out this year. That’s one of the main reasons he was selected to be the captain because we saw the work last year. Okay, he wasn’t the captain last year, but if you would have observed the team, you thought he was the captain. He was busy up and down after a match, he would say we need to get ready for the next one, and if something is broken, he is ready to fix it to get going.”
Front Page Image: Team St. Kitts and Nevis (members of the St.Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association-SKNRA) recently secured success at the 2024 FIRST Global Robotics Olympics, officially ranked 20th out of 180 countries and holding first place in the Caribbean following the event held in Athens, Greece (located in southeast Europe) from 26th to 29th September at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. Team captain Jaiden Clarke seen second from right) -(Credit:Facebook/St.Kitts&NevisRoboticsAssociation)