A fisherman writes the new story
While it would have been a perfect day for fishing in Jamaica, 26-year-old Shane Pitter was in frozen water in Milan-Cortina. His “real job” is with nets and hooks, but his passion now also runs on ice rinks.
This is how the next chapter of Jamaican bobsleigh is written. And Pitter is in charge.
“We are still in a developmental stage. Although we are young athletes, we are the best athletes Jamaica has ever had in bobsleigh,” Pitter commented.
The shadow (and light) of Cool Runnings
This is the ninth Olympic Games where Jamaica competes in bobsleigh. We all know how this story began: Calgary 1988, the movie that made us believe in the impossible.
And yes, still today, if you think of Jamaican bobsleigh, you think of Cool Runnings. Does it bother you? On the contrary.
“The fact that they come up to me and ask me about ‘Cool Runnings’ and the story is fine,” brakeman Junior Harris noted. “I will always be there to talk to them.”
But there’s more than just cinematic nostalgia here. There is a future.
The current reality
Jamaica has never finished better than 14th in an Olympic race. In Cortina, Pitter and Harris are 23rd out of 26 sleds after the first rounds. Medals remain a distant dream.
And the money… always the money. Mica Moore, former British runner now with Jamaica, knows this well:
“It’s a very expensive sport, and I’m doing the season on a cheap budget,” Moore said. “We have heart and we have determination, and as long as you have that, you make things happen.”
She spent more than £40,000 to fund her Olympic season. Because there is no other financing available.
The potential called Shane
Moore sees something special in Pitter:
“The only thing I know about Shane is that he loves sledding. If we have a day off, he’s like, ‘I just want to get back on the ice.’ He’s committed to it.”
And the results speak: this season he won 10 medals in the North American Cup circuit, eight of them gold.
Chris Stokes, president of the Jamaican federation, was clear: “He could be the best young driver we have ever had”.
Pitter could be the one who finally takes Jamaican bobsleigh beyond the film. From symbol to competitive reality.
They continue to be that story that makes us feel good every four years. But now they have a fisherman-turned-pilot willing to change the script.
