This is a scenario we all can relate to. You miss a doctor’s appointment, or get on the wrong bus, or in Hansle Parchment’s case, you almost miss a once in a lifetime opportunity to achieve an Olympic medal. This is by no means a small feat as many elite athletes never get to realize their ultimate dream of standing on an Olympic podium.
Jamaica’s gold medal winning hurdler narrowly missed his opportunity to an Olympic gold medal. He lost his way to the Olympic stadium and the only way for him to catch his race was to ask a stranger for taxi fare. Parchment accidentally went to an aquatics arena in Tokyo instead of the Olympic Stadium where his semi-final event was being held.
Parchment went viral after tracking down the woman and repaying her for the taxi ride. To top it off, he showed her the gold medal he had won the day before. After locating her, he explained to her that …
“You were instrumental for me getting there that day.”
Parchment placed second in his semifinal match on August 4 2021, behind Grant Holloway, the favorite of the United States. He finished second, narrowly advancing to the final. In the finals however, he won a surprise gold medal. Holloway was defeated by a very small margin at the finishing line.
Andrew Holness, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, praised the small act of kindness by the volunteer and shared it on Twitter.
He wrote: “Every Jamaican knows gratitude is a must. @ParchmentHansle illustrates this perfectly here. Edmund Bartlett, the country’s Tourism Minister, invited the woman to Jamaica as a gesture of appreciation from the small island sprint factory.
