Usain Bolt Accepts Third Honorary Doctorate, Brunel Says It’s “Probably His Most Prestigious Title Ever”
The UK’s Brunel University has described the honorary doctorate it presented to sprint kingpin, now music producer, Usain Bolt on Tuesday at its graduation ceremony, as “probably his most prestigious title ever”.
Brunel’s Doctor of the University, or DUniv degree was the eight-time Olympic champion’s third honorary doctorate from a University for his outstanding contribution to athletics. He had received an honorary Doctor of Laws from The University of the West Indies, Mona in 2011 and another from the Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2010.
Among his long list of accolades, Bolt also holds the title of Order of Jamaica (OJ) a national honour which he received in 2009, from the Government of Jamaica which gives him the designation “Honourable”, along with the diplomatic title ‘Ambassador-at-Large’, for his outstanding achievements in the field of Sports.
Bolt has trained at Brunel’s Indoor Athletics Centre and its outdoor IAAF- certified outdoor athletics track several times during his athletics career, including the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics, where he copped three gold medals and became the greatest sprinter of all time. The track, which is certified to the IAAF standards, and designed for all-year-round training, is the chosen training venue for many of the UK’s best athletes and has facilitated numerous elite-level athletes from other parts of the world.
Yesterday, Bolt took to social media to thank the university, noting that his training stints at their facilities were always pleasurable.
“I want to thank Brunel University for this honorary degree, I really appreciate it. I have only fond memories of training at Brunel, you guys have really helped me to conquer the world, and I must say I really appreciate that,” he noted.
On Tuesday, while accepting his doctorate, Bolt had told the university graduates at its Indoor Athletics Centre in Uxbridge that “hard work does pay off, just remember that the road won’t be easy”.
“There will be ups and downs, and you will fail. But always remember, learn from your failure and try again. Never give up on your dream, because as a young man I never knew I’d be this great. Always work hard, dedicate yourself, and remember, anything is possible, don’t take limits,” he stated.
Professor Costas Karageorghis, Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at Brunel, speaking after the event, is reported by the University’s press office as saying that “it was a delight to welcome Usain back to Brunel to recognise his great achievements, not only on the track, but in promoting sport and a positive attitude towards life”.
“As a university, we’re immensely proud to have played even a small part in his journey to greatness, and I’m sure Usain knows he’s welcome back any time!” he said.
Bolt, whose official title is “Dr. the Honourable Ambassador Usain Bolt, OJ” is the fastest athlete the world has ever seen. His world record-breaking performances in 100 and 200 metres sprints have cemented what he has long described as his “legendary status”.
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, the Trelawny native created history when he became the first and only athlete to obliterate three Olympic and world records at the same games.
A year later, at the 12th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Berlin, Germany, Bolt had set a new time of 9.58 seconds in the 100 metres sprint; erasing his previous record of 9.69 seconds. He went on to clock 19.19 seconds in the 200 metres; shaving off 0.11 seconds from his Olympic and world record run of 19.30 seconds.
He went on to repeat the same feat in terms of medals at the London and Brazil Olympics.
Bolt’s journey to ultimate athletic glory started at the Waldensia Primary and William Knibb Memorial High Schools, in his native Trelawny. At the National Inter-Secondary Schools’ Boys and Girls Championships he became the record holder of Class I (under 19) in the 200 and 400 metres, with times of 20.25 and 45.35 seconds, respectively.
He also became the youngest World Junior Champion at age 15, when he won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston in 2002, and a year later, broke the World Junior record in the 200 metres at the World Youth Championships in Canada.
Bolt smashed all the world records in all age groups in the 200 metres at the junior level and became the first junior to run the 200 metres under 20 seconds at the CARIFTA Games held in Hamilton, Bermuda in 2004.
He has been recognised at both the national and international levels including several International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) 2011 Male Athlete of the Year awards, the RJR Sports Foundation’s ‘Sports Man of the Year Award and The Gleaner, ‘Man of the Year Award. In 2008, he was awarded his first national award, the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander, (CD).
The Sherwood Content native was also one of two Jamaicans, named for the 2009 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Champion for Sports award, and received the Vanguard Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies for his outstanding performance in 2009.
He also copped the BBC’s Overseas Sports Personality Award in 2008 and 2009 and was voted Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year at the 28th Annual Commonwealth Sports Awards in 2009. Bolt was also the recipient of the International Athletics Foundation (IAF) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Rising Star Awards in 2002 and 2003 respectively.