Athletics guru and fitness fanatic… Elton Barker is a ‘Special Person’

Mar 14, 2021 News

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“Right now I only have about two percent vision. Training the people in the gym is becoming challenging, but I’m still persevering. The main thing though is that the few customers who still come are satisfied. They say to me, you really know this wuk, and I say, yes I really know it because I’ve been doing it a long time.”

By Enid Joaquin

Kaieteur News – At 64 years of age, Elton Barker, possesses the physique and physical stamina of a man of 40 or 50. His body presents the picture of perfect health that is only achievable by those who rigorously work what they were blessed with.

And man, oh man, the evidence of all those gruelling workouts are clear for everyone to see.
Having developed a passion for sports from childhood, Barker, a grandfather of 17, even now still engages in physical activity, that most men his age would shudder just to think about.
Barker started out as an athlete at the age of 12. At that time he was a student of St. Aidans Primary School.
In those days the athletes used to run from St. Aidans to Catapulli Creek and back to St. Aidans. They did this under the watchful eyes of the teachers who were tasked with training them.
At the time, Barker used to accompany his sister, who was a National sprinter, as the training started at 04:00 hrs. in the mornings.
“I used to run with a safety boots that my father bought for me, as he said I used to break up my school sneakers too fast. But I was good because I used to run away and leave everybody in my safety boots. That was because I had stamina,” he recalled with pride.
Later he started to run barefooted, but he kept falling behind in his races, so his father took him to Georgetown and bought running shoes for him.
As expected, he began his winning ways again.
“When I used to run barefoot the other athletes who wore spurs used to laugh at me because I was always behind, but things changed after my father bought mine.”

MAKING HEADLINES
“We break a lot of records in school sports. So the Georgetown teachers decided to target us; they tried to stop us from running. There was a guy name, Oliver Alves, that they thought could beat me, so they allowed me to run. I ran open at the age of 16 years, three months and I broke all three records in the heats. ”
He later broke his own record in the finals.
The next day the papers had a headline that read “Elton Barker Shines.” The following day another headline read, “Elton Barker disqualified!”
Barker swears it was a clandestine move to “rob him” as his performance would have qualified him for a scholarship.
“They said I was over-age, so they disqualified me!”
That did not stop Barker who instead of becoming disillusioned, started ‘to run more bad.’
He would continue to excel in the field of athletics, after he became a constable with the Linden Constabulary in 1975.
“I won all my races with GUYMINE Games. I was so fast; I used to run in the four by four. I was the fastest finishing athlete,” a beaming Barker recounted.
Barker became national champion as a junior athlete and he was also the middle distance champion.
Reminiscing on his forays at the GUYMINE and GUYSTAC games, Barker quipped, “Nobody could beat me; I resigned from athletics as a Champion!”
He also swam and did cycling for the GUYMINE Games and used to engage in martial arts.
“But you know what my father told me when I was 14, he say ‘boy is only because you does win I wouldn’t stop you from running, because when you get old nobody will remember you…and I live to see it. Nobody remembers me except for the junkies…when they see me they would say look the Champion Elton Barker coming!” a despondent Barker shared.

THE EARLY DAYS
Elton Barker was born at Silvertown on the Wismar shore, but spent most of his life on the Mackenzie shore.
He started out working at the GUYMINE Constabulary compound as a constable at the age of 18. But he soon moved into the heart of where the bauxite was actually being mined, at East Montgomery Mines.
He worked there as a mechanic helper and also operated various machines, including the drag-line, bulldozer and crane. He also drove the workers bus for a few years, and worked as a millwright mechanic.
After spending 23 years with the bauxite company, Barker decided to resign and launch his own business.
He became the proud owner of one of the first Cassette/CD shops in Wismar. This was not surprising as he grew up in a home where his father had no less than three juke boxes that he rented for various events.
However after he developed glaucoma, he was forced to discontinue the music business.

WEIGHT TRAINING
Barker started out in weights training at Sammy Barker Gym in Retrieve. He would soon move though, as he said the gym was too crowded for him.
The father of six soon built his own gym in Amelia’s Ward in 2014. The gym is equipped with most of the modern equipment, including treadmills, and Barker employs an assistant who helps in its day to day operations.
It has seen a steady stream of customers over the years, especially women who want to lose weight. However there has been a drastic reduction in active members because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, he is still not ready to quit, even though his sight is getting progressively worse.
“Right now I only have about two percent vision. Training the people in the gym is becoming challenging, but I’m still persevering. The main thing though is that the few customers who still come are satisfied. They say to me, you really know this wuk, and I say, yes I really know it because I’ve been doing it a long time,” Barker added.
For his outstanding performance in the field of sports and his perseverance in helping others despite his own challenges, Kaieteur News takes pleasure in bestowing the title of ‘Special Person’ on Elton Barker.

 

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