Exactly four years ago, in the final strides of her winning run at Rio’s Grand Prix 2008, Marian Joan Burnett pointed to the white block letter on her red singlet.
The letters spelt: G-U-Y-A-N-A, and Burnett wanted to make sure everybody noticed them. So close to home, the Guyanese track star may have been sending a message to her country’s neighbours.
Burnett was not merely a few seconds from continuing her solid performances at meets in the Brazilian capital, but she was also capping a stirring comeback from severe injury that was jeopardizing her Beijing Olympics later that summer.
It’s another Olympic year, and the three-time Sportswoman-of-the Year gets the chance to be home exuding confidence in her pointed pride at not only being Guyanese, but for Guyanese. Burnett is the featured athlete at the third President’s/Jefford Track Classic this Sunday in Linden.
“Well, I’m going to Guyana and have fun. I want to have a good showing at the meet and inspire our athletes,” Burnett said in an exclusive chat with Stabroek Sports, yesterday.
With her China sojourn now history, and Brazil hosting the Olympiad in four years, the diminutive runner is on a tall order to make the upcoming London Olympic Games.
“The past two years have brought new perspectives on my life, but track has always been centre. However, I have been away for a while, so it’s a hard climb back,” Burnett said while mounting a mid-afternoon flight in Florida for Guyana.
Injuries of varying scopes have dodged the two-time Olympian throughout her career and, about two years ago, she abandoned the track for higher plains. On August 12 last, Burnett gave birth to a bouncing baby boy in her adopted hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and then, took time to indulge in her new role of motherhood.
The 2007 South American Championships gold medalist has since had to balance her track career with the demands of her pride and joy – Aden Isaiah, and her other professional duties as a Supplemental Instructor at the Academic Center for Student Athletes of her alma mater Louisiana State University (LSU). “It was no easy task, I can tell you. Some days you felt like you need 25 hours or more just to handle the routine things.”
She had invited her mother from Guyana to assist for a few months and decided to send her Leo-born little master to Linden with his grandma earlier this year to spend time which eventually would give her chances to return to purposeful athletic training.
The back-to-the-track endeavor has been limited, though.
“I only started training on February 26, so it’s not a whole lot I’ve been able to do,” she says.
Burnett pointed out that she has done little competitive running since and she knows that to effect a full comeback will take sometime. With the 2012 Olympics ‘around the corner’, she is not letting up on shooting for a qualification, though her optimism is fueled by the reality of the her circumstances.
A day after her alma mater historically won the competitive Southeastern Conference collegiate women’s title at their home stadium, Burnett indicated that she had to pass up some ‘big’ meet invites due to her limited exposure, including the Jamaican International Invitational and the Brazilian Grand Prix tour. “I did a few short races at small meets and about two days before the LSU Alumni Gold I hurt my hamstrings so I didn’t get to do that good at 800m, but I’m feeling better now,” she noted.
Right now she is taking it one-day-at-a- time to get back to any semblance of world ranking standards.
“In terms of shape and getting back to where I was, it would take some time, and I’ll have to see how far I meet. With more competition, definitely I can get back there.”
Burnett said she would be taking her son back when she leaves Guyana after almost a week and a half stay. Incidentally, Aden’s dad, Dwayne is accompanying Burnett on his first visit to Guyana, and is very excited.
“We would really like to spend longer, but we both work at the University and our jobs are very demanding especially now around graduations time.”
Burnett also indicated that she has new job offers lined up, including one as Assistant Event Manager at the massive college.
Asked about her motherhood experiences so far with her son, the uber compassionate Burnett said Aden is extremely determined (a trait she herself is famous for).
“I think he had a lot of will power ‘cause if he tries to do something, he won’t give up til’ he accomplishes it. If he falls, he gets up and goes again.”
Would he likely follow her footsteps? “I think he’s gonna’ like his books, first, then sports, but I can’t say which sports.”
She said she would be inculcating that in him. “No doubt he would be aware of what his mommy did, but whatever he loves or cares about we are going to support, me and his dad,” she concluded, adding that well-wishers have said that Aden maybe a football player given his physical development and the fact that he’s a product of football-mad city and the championship LSU Tigers environment.
Back in Guyana, in her hometown and running on a turf which officially launched her climb to stardom, Burnett hopes to put on a show that rekindles the regional run that pre-empted her 3000m record at Schools’ ‘Nationals’ in 1991. Those capable on reminiscing on that probable ‘all-comers’ national record, would almost be wagging to the newer fans of an expected spectacle, 21 years later.
The Linden daughter-of-the-soil is listed to do her pet event and may add the 1500m and other races at the Classic, but is not flustered by the times.
“It’s a clay track in Guyana, but I’ll still go out there to perform and have fun and whatever the outcome I’ll be very grateful. If I can have good times there then I’ll surely take it from there.”
Now, Burnett will not have to point to a name on her person, conversely her compatriots will, no doubt, be pointing to her with fingers, eyes and loud cheers in honour of the accomplishments of an incredibly patriotic Guyanese sports icon.
