"Keep that name in mind for World Youth next year for Saint Lucia: Shermar Paul." The message came out of the blue, but Mr Paul will find it hard to stay under the radar if he maintains his current progress. One of the most talented sprinters in Canada, he ran 11.4 as a 13-year-old; he is aiming for sub-11 this season, which begins in April.
Most recently, Shermar finished fifth and eighth in the Athletics Ontario Youth / Senior Championships. The places don't seem impressive until you consider that Shermar was one of three 14-year-olds in the 60m, and four in the 200, competing among boys a year or two older. The next best boy his age placed 10th and 16th in those two races.
Shermar, meanwhile, set two new personal records at the Toronto Track and Field Centre. His 7.27 in the 60 finals coming after his career mark of 7.26 in the semi-finals, and his 23.59 in the 200 represents his new all-time fastest time in that event. And that came on the heels of more impressive performances just a couple of weeks prior.
At the 2012 Winternational Invitational in the Louis Riel Dome Facility in Ottawa, Shermar set the under-16 facility record for the 300m with a 36.79 sec effort. He also posted a then personal best 7.32 seconds in the 60m dash preliminaries, and followed that with a 7.35-second mark for second place finish in the youth boys (under-18) division final.
Shermar is a member of CANI (Constant And Never-ending Improvement) Athletics Club, and is coached by Lyndon George. George, the Athletics Director of CANI Athletics, represented Saint Lucia in the 1987 IAAF World Championships in Athletics. His coaching career includes various stints at the collegiate level in the United States.
Standing 6'1" at the age of 14, "Shermar is special," says George. "His achievements rival those of any sprinter of his age group in Jamaica and the US, and he is undoubtedly projected as Canada's best sprint hope in the youth classification in 2013." And he could line up for Saint Lucia at World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine next year.
Shermar's mother is Saint Lucian, and the unassuming young man spends his summers in Canaries. His favourite meal? Pig tail bouillion. George says Shermar's parents have actively discussed the possibility of having him representing Saint Lucia. And if he does, his achievements in national colours certainly won't come out of the blue.
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