AS TOLD TO BC PIRES

My name is Axel Brown and I am the captain of the Trinidad & Tobago national bobsleigh team.

It’s a tricky one to say where I’m from in Trinidad because I’ve only really reconnected with my Trini heritage in the last couple of years. I wanted to go see my mum’s house in Pointe-a-Pierre. But I’ve only been out of Port of Spain a couple of times. So I guess Port of Spain.

I grew up in and still live in Harrogate, near Leeds. My grandad worked at the refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre in the 1950s but then, following my grandad’s work, the family moved to Barbados. So my trips to the Caribbean for weddings and things like that were to Barbados. But we’ve always known we were Trini and rooted for Trinidad and Tobago in track and field because my dad was a huge Ato Boldon fan. And my younger brother and I were always hearing our mum’s stories. It was a fun little fact about us – and then it manifested in this [winter sport] reconnection.

I was on the first flight I could possibly get in the window of being allowed to travel and the start of the [winter olympics] season but no beaches or bars were open. It was a rough two-and-a-half weeks, I won’t lie. I knew no one. I loosely knew the lawyers I’d been dealing with regarding the federation I was founding, with literally no athletes. I was dealing with mountains of paperwork, going to meetings and learning the nuances of different governing bodies.

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The first thing I did was walk up Ariapita Avenue. From what I knew and had been told, the way into Trini culture was through the food; and that was absolutely right. I tried doubles, roti. I loved doubles. I’d seen pictures before and they’re not necessarily the most visually appealing dish. But I liked that kind of merging of cultures that happens in Trini food.

I was in a team sport but I didn’t have a team. I’d been talking to Andrew Marcano, who ended up pushing with me in the Olympics. I was cold-calling people in person. I went along to the Concord Lake track and field session asking if people wanted to have a go. People asked, “Are you lost?” But I knew exactly where I was going.

The visa process to North America from the UK took minutes. I didn’t realise how agonisingly difficult it was for Trinis to get visas to North America.

Everyone was really welcoming. People were understandably confused when they heard about bobsleigh – although, nowadays, they say, “Oh, you’re THAT guy!” I was doing something new but it was for the good of – of course, myself – but also obviously for the country. People can sense when you’re genuinely trying to do a good thing.

I need a decent source of chadon beni in the UK.

[caption id="attachment_1011265" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Axel Brown is the captain of the Trinidad and Tobago national bobsleigh team. -[/caption]

Despite the trial