I was a young boy growing up in the eastern district of New Providence (Pond, north Mackey Street, Okra Hill, Williams Street area) when Oscar Francis became a household name as an athletic star. When he teamed up with Tommy Robinson, Enoch Backford and Tom Grant to win the first medal in track for the country, at the 1957 West Indies Federation Games, many in the eastern community felt a special connection to him. Firstly, he was grouped with our big hero Robinson; Backford, who was also very well known in the area and Grant, who was a big name in his own right, particularly among Catholics. Later on when I entered St. Augustine's College, the legacy of Francis confronted me. He was a significant part of the SAC sports aura. He was one of the athletes who made St. Augustine's more distinctive as an institutional sports power.
As noted in this space before, no other has been more versatile as a runner, than Francis. He was a pure sprinter who could be counted on to win ribbons for SAC in the short sprints, as well as the longer races. He told me once that he got just as much satisfaction from running the longer distances. He certainly enjoyed the kind of success similar to what was achieved in the short sprints. Francis grew up in the Family Islands, Long Island in ular, and was a trailblazer. He blazed a trail for other Family Islanders who came to New Providence and competed successfully against their more affluent city rivals. He was a Bahamian pioneer also, in the marathon. Francis always loved to talk about his marathon running experiences. He relished being able to be successful against locally posted British servicemen who had a stronger background for distance running. One of the great joys for Francis was the emergence of Marathon Bahamas in 2010. This classic affair that has quickly become a fixture on the local scene, connected the long distance eras in the country.
Trailblazer Francis was thrilled. He delighted in being invited to a special night of distance running celebration during the first Marathon Bahamas weekend. In the two years that followed, his interaction with the initial Marathon Bahamas remained high on his list of "special happenings" and he spared no words in expressing as much. It's quite interesting that, at 76, he exited this life the day immediately following Marathon Bahamas III. He slipped into eternity on the morning of Monday, January 16. It's as if he wanted to know of the event happening, just one more time. We lost a great athlete, a wonderful human and a gentleman with gracious ways that resulted in full respect whether he was competing, serving the nation as a police officer, or networking with friends and former colleagues during his retirement years. It's been a privilege for me to know the man. He was a true icon. I extend condolences to Bridgette and the rest of his immediate family, his wider group of relatives and friends. May his soul forever rest in peace! To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at fredericksturrup@gmail.com.
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