media_artricles :: 2017

SOPHIA'S CHOICE

Flight back to T&T: independent senator gives up business class seat to gold medallist Jereem

Independent Senator Sophia Chote proved she has a heart of gold when she gave up her business class seat to gold medallist Jereem "The dream" Richards, who was seated in economy at the back of the British Airways plane on the return flight from London.

Trinidad and Tobago has been celebrating the golden victory of the track and field athletes at the 2017 IAAF World Championships but while Richards's performance was first class this was not reflected in the booking of his return ticket home.

The team, comprising Lalonde Gordon, Jarrin Solomon, Jereem Richards and Machel Cedenio, secured gold on Sunday for this country in the men's 4x400 metre final at the IAAF World Championships in London.

Richards is a double medallist, having secured a bronze medal at the men's 200 metre final last week.

It was Richards who disclosed that Chote, a senior counsel and Sunday Express columnist, had given up her seat as he thanked and commended her publicly at a welcome reception at Piarco International Airport yesterday.

Speaking to the Express last night, Chote said she was surprised that Richards was seated in economy and she felt that he and all our athletes deserve better treatment.

"I was surprised and I had also been following the games so I realised he had been on a pretty brutal meet in terms of the scheduling of the events and I think he did marvellously.

"I had been bumped up, not to first class, but to business class, by the airline, I don't know, I suppose they had free spaces," she said.

Show your support

Chote said she overheard an "excited Englishman" saying there was a gold medallist on the plane.

She said she met Hasely Crawford on her way up to board the flight and so she went to him and asked if there was indeed a gold medallist on the flight.

Crawford, Trinidad and Tobago's first Olympic gold medallist, won gold in 1976 in the men's 100 metres.

"I saw him (Richards) going towards the back of the plane looking very exhausted and then I saw him squeezing his very tall self into this tiny seat and I thought to myself he certainly deserves better accommodation and better treatment than this. I think our athletes deserve far better treatment than they seem to be receiving," she said.

Chote said she indicated to Crawford that she had no problems at all in switching seats with Richards and he also informed the stewardess who raised no objection.

"I don't see that it was a big issue for me at all. I don't want this to be blown out of proportion in any way at all, I think what he did was simply marvellous. I mean it just shows you that young men and women can set their minds to accomplish basically anything that they need to," said Chote.

She said she extended her personal congratulations to Richards who was very grateful.

"He was very gracious and accepting of the congratulations. He looked very tired, I must say and I felt for him because as I said I had been following his schedule," she added.

Asked again whether she felt that better treatment should be afforded to our athletes and to Richards, Chote responded, "I certainly think that our athletes should not be scrambling for money to attend a meet. I think when they represent our country they should be able to do so with pride in every sense and certainly when they accomplish something as magnificent as this young man has then I think everything should have been pulled out to see that he was brought home back in comfort because at this point in time it is not about speeches and functions and so on, it is for this young man to enjoy his accomplishment and for us to be proud of him and to show our support because he's still quite young and I am sure he is going to go on to bigger and better things."

Business class comfort

Also speaking to the Express by phone last night, Richards said that he felt "really good" by Chote's kindness and he was very appreciative of the move.

He said he was not scheduled to return to Trinidad as he was supposed to head back to university in Alabama but he asked to return home to be with him family at this time.

Richards said the economy — 29A— seat was probably the only one available.

"I was very touched, I am very thankful. After competing so much and so hard, to sit for seven hours at the back of the plane....I am truly thankful by her kindness," he said.

Richards said the mood in the plane was a celebratory one as many people came and congratulated him and took photographs.

In the end, it was the golden move by Chote that gave Richards the business class comfort he deserved after securing a double medal win for T&T.

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