Guyanese sportsman and acclaimed national cyclist, Raymond ‘Steele’ Newton, is a ‘Special Person’

Jun 20, 2021 News

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“Right after high school, I trained at the GCCI technical institute in electrical repairs and mechanics. This was to help with my expenses because even though, I was good at cycling and got praised for it nationally, the Government has not been too keen on providing support or incentives to cyclists like myself. We are usually sponsored by private entities and individuals or sometimes, we are self-sponsored and that can only do so much…”

By Rehanna Ramsay

Kaieteur News – Almost every day at around 08:00hrs, 56-year-old, Raymond ‘Steele’ Newton, a Guyanese sportsman and national cyclist, leaves his home in Queens, New York on his Cervelo racing bike and arrives, about 45 minutes later, at his job in Long Island, New York.
He covers roughly 12 miles on his bicycle, each time he rides to or from work.

“This is part of the regiment that keeps me focused, fit and ready for any upcoming competitions,” Newton said. This discipline has surely paid off for Newton, who spent most of his life representing Guyana at regional and international cycling competitions.
In fact, the acclaimed national cyclist has copped gold medals at numerous local and regional competitions. The nickname ‘Steele’ was given him for his persistence and ability to go the distances in a race.
As a teen, Newton became the winner of Guyana’s first Triathlon competition in 1984. The competition saw him winning the top spot in three categories of sports—swimming, cycling and the races.
He recalled that he was just 19 years old when he competed against and beat several other national sports enthusiasts in the swim contest across the Demerara River—the cycling race from Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara to Plaisance, East Coast Demerara and then the run from Plaisance to the Seawall bandstand in Kingston, Georgetown.

He recalled the proud moment when he held the gold trophy after beating his peers and fellow competitors in the gruelling races. Newton was praised for his good sportsmanship and for covering 20 miles distance in a record-breaking one 120 minutes. Reflecting on the win, Newton said that it was then he knew that he wanted to follow up a career in Sports.
At the height of his career from the 1980s to the 2000s, Newtown focused much of his attention on cycling
He made his mark locally, before competing in the Region — the Tour De San Fernando held in Trinidad and Tobago, which he won three times, as well as the Tour De Suriname and Tour De St. Lucia cycling competitions, which he won once when he participated.
When Kaieteur News caught up with this week’s ‘Special Person’, he was preparing for the Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic races today – Father’s Day. Newton, a father of six himself, has been taking part in the race every year since he migrated to the United States, more than a decade ago.

He has secured several prizes for his participation. He tells Kaieteur News that each year, the stakes vary. “There are trophies and lots of monetary prizes up for grabs. I am riding for the United Cycle Club in the race,” Newton informed.
He explained that the event starts with kids’ races before moving on to adult amateurs and finally, the main competition with professional cyclists.
Newton is competing in the Pro-Elite Men Category as well as the William Montgomery Masters Category of the cycling competition this year.
The Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic races start in Harlem and will end in the New York City borough of Manhattan. While the road race can be competitive, Newton says, it is just a semblance of his many conquests as an athletic youth.
He said that he participated in several types of sports and did well in the different categories.
“I love cycling and I love sports in general. I hope to do it, ride cycles, for as long as I can and compete because I love to represent Guyana, doing what I do best,” the cyclist said.

 

ATHLETIC DREAMS
And though he was born on May 19, 1965, in London, England to British Guianese parents, Nandie Newton and Hubert Newton, the cyclist considers himself “a Guyanese in every sense.” He told Kaieteur News that he only spent the early part of his childhood in the UK.

“My sister and I were born in London but we came to Guyana after my youngest brother was born here. We lived most of our lives in Kitty… I only went to England to live for a short time in my teens so Guyana is all I know,” he explained.
He recalled the family settled in Guyana after his mother had returned to their homeland, leaving their father in London. Nevertheless, Newton said his parents always supported his athletic dreams.
“They supported my participation in sports but I also had to attend school,” he said.
As such, the young Newton spent his academic years at the South Ruimveldt Park, Tucville Primary School and later the South Ruimveldt Under-12 School, before he enrolled at the Central High School. As a student of Central High School, the teenage Newton completed his studies and excelled in sports, which he pursued. He recalled all his extra-curricular time was spent at sporting events.
“I was very passionate about athletics. I played basketball, did track and field but cycling was my favourite. I like cycling because I am better at it,” Newton said of his decision to pursue cycling professionally.
According to Newton too, sports had its way of keeping him out of trouble as a youngster. “It helped me to focus on something positive like reaching a goal, so it, in many ways, was my route of escape,” he said.
As he matured, Newton began to participate in the sports on a national scale. “I started to go and watch the championship and people who knew me started to encourage me to take part.”
The cyclist recalled that as he began to gain recognition for achievements – he started to be selected by clubs and sponsors to represent Guyana at regional championships.
He went on to compete and represent Guyana in cycling excursions in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Martinique, French Guiana and Cuba. The cyclist said that some of his proudest moments in the sport were had while he represented Guyana in Martinique.
“I actually thought it was the most challenging because it a mountainous area and I was not trained for that but I competed in the race,” he said.
“And whenever I took part in the other competitions, I would save the newspaper clippings and send copies of them to my mother who is living in Grenada…Those are some of my proudest moments,” the cyclist added.

Although being a professional cyclist brought so much happiness and freedom, Newton said that the earnings of a cyclist in Guyana could not support his family. He needed to have other back up jobs to buffer those expenses.
As a result, he chose to do the work of a mechanic and electrician.
“Right after high school, I trained at the GCCI technical institute in electrical repairs and mechanics. This was to help with my expenses because even though, I was good at cycling and got praised for it nationally, the Government has not been too keen on providing support or incentives to cyclists like myself. We are usually sponsored by private entities and individuals or sometimes, we are self-sponsored and that can only do so much…” he said.
Legacy
While this has not deterred Newton from competing in the sport, these days, the national cyclist is more focused on leaving a legacy for his six children, all of whom have taken a liking to athletics and cycling.
In fact, his fourth son, Aaron Newton, is the current national junior cycling championship holder. The elder Newton had a part to play in his son’s early success as a national cyclist.
“Whenever I am in Guyana, I would train him and make sure he was disciplined and had the right gears for the race,” the proud father said, adding that all his children have shown an interest in sports at one level or another. He revealed that his three eldest sons, Ray, Marcus and Michael, also wanted to follow in his cycling path but ended up playing cricket instead.
“I think that was because I was overseas most of the time so they took up cricket,” he noted, adding that his only daughter Aria, who is 13 years old, has also expressed an interest in cycling.
“I think what happened is that their mother would bring them to see me race and so they would get excited and want to follow me,” Newton continued, as he pointed out that his youngest son, Alex who is 11 years old, has already participated in first trial cycle race.
He rode his bicycle from Plaisance to Vlissingen Road and ended at the roundabout at Kingston, the proud father recalled.
Moreover, Mr. Newton said he is very proud of all his children and hopes to leave a legacy, which they will be pleased to follow.

 

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