Lendore And His Legacy

No matter how often it happens or how often we experience it, the sudden loss of a life is never easy. When we say life is precious and unpredictable, it truly is.

Deon Lendore, who many of his colleagues described as being humble and having the brightest smile in the room, was cut off from life in arguably his prime.

Lendore’s athletic journey began somewhere around the age of 16, as the quarter-miler attended Queen’s Royal College in Trinidad.

As a Junior, Lendore’s potential was more than glaring as he did exceptionally well on the track especially in his final junior years.Deon’s first taste of international/regional glory came in 2008 when he won gold in the U-17 Men’s 4x400m relay at the Carifta Games in St Kitts and Nevis. Two years later, he climbed the podium once more in the U-20 Men’s 4x400m relay at the CAC Games while picking up two bronze medals and a silver at both the CAC Games and Carifta Games in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

The following year, in Florida, the Olympic medalist ran a career’s best of 46.50 to pick up the PanAm Juniors silver medal in the boys 400m final. In that same year, he became the national junior champion in the men’s 400m and while picking up some silverware at the CAC and Carifta Games in the men’s 4x400m relays. At 19 years, he got his feet wet with competing with the elites as he represented T&T at the World Championship in South Korea in the men’s 4x400m, preliminary round.

Every athlete’s dream is to go to the Olympic Games and to be rewarded for it is usually the icing on the cake. The highlight of Deon’s career came in London when the then 19-year-old made his debut at the 2012 Olympic Games. T&T, anchored by Lendore, won bronze in the men’s 4x400m final, succeeded only by the Bahamas and USA.

The Arima resident then joined Texas A&M where he pursued Business Management while also catering to his athletic career. His collegiate career was nothing short of extremely successful, winning several titles and breaking several records in the process. In 2014, Texas A&M senior Deon Lendore won the Bowerman Award, the first ever winner from the Caribbean. Now, the Bowerman Award is like an extremely big deal in collegiate Athletics, if we may, it’s equivalent to the Ballon D’or of football, but at the collegiate level.

Lendore was definitely apart of some great sporting moments but one which may stand out to all was the men’s 4x400m gold medal run at the 2019 IAAF World Relays in Yokohama.

Throughout his life, Lendore has represented Trinidad and Tobago at three Olympic Games, six World Championships (relays included), indoor and outdoor inclusive and several regional championship and the former Royalian has represented well.

Sports, the only thing that can bring two waring nations together and create pure joy, has today indirectly brought Trinidad and Tobago so much sorrow.

Rest In Peace Deon.

🥉 World Indoor 16’ (400m)

🥉 World Indoor 18’ (400m)

🥉 Olympics 2012 (4x400)

🥈 World Championship 15’ (4x400)

🥉 World Indoor 16’ (4x400)

🥇 World Relays 19’ (4x400)

▪️14’ NCAA Champion (400m)(@aggietfxc)

▪️14’ NCAA Champion (4x400)

PB: 400m (44.36s)