25-year-old Lindon Victor, who hails from the small village of La Femme in St David, has not only boosted the confidence of young aspiring Grenadian Decathletes, but he has also raised the noses of Grenadians throughout the world with his recent Gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Austria.

Victor’s past and most recent achievements in the sporting arena has afforded him the opportunity to cop the coveted title of Texas A&M Male Athlete of the Year for 2017-2018, yet another award as he ends his Aggie carrier.

So, who is Lindon Victor?

Victor is the eighth of 11 children, and his parents are Lincoln and Dale Victor. He is a past student of the Grenada Boys Secondary School (GBSS), where he primarily took part in Track and Field. However, it was about 4 years ago, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his older brother and Decathlete, Kurt Felix, and jumped at the opportunity to take on the challenge of being a Decathlete.

As he commenced his dream of representing Grenada internationally, Victor secured a scholarship to attend the Texas A&M University in the United States of America. There, he pursued his studies in Business Studies with a minor in Sports Management and realized his decathlete dreams under the coaching of Grenada’s own Alleyne Francique.

Some of Victor’s major achievements and highlights include Gold medalist at the 2016 &2017 NCAA Championships, the 2016 Olympian (no medal), and most recently, 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist.

The young athlete, who exudes confidence and humility, despite his many accolades, remains focused on his goals and committed to bettering himself holistically. He told The Barnacle News Team that his long-term goal is “to be the best decathlete I can be and to become an Olympic Champion,” and he appears to be well on his way.

What is a Decathlon?

The Men’s Decathlon, lasts for 2 consecutive days and consists of 10 events covering the whole range of athletic disciplines. On the first day, athletes compete in 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m. Day 2 events are 110m hurdles, discuss, pole vault, javelin and 1500m.

Victor’s name and Grenada’s flag can be seen displayed on the IAAFs website at #2 in the Men Outdoor All Time Decathlon list, with his latest point standing of 8303 which he achieved at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia. The young man has surpassed his older brother, Kurt Felix, who ranked #20 with 7756 points on the site.

Victor, who is no stranger to the competition arena was asked what the experience was like for him at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He responded, briefly, “the experience was really wonderful; the Gold Coast was a beautiful place and being there with my brother made it even more special.”

At the Commonwealth Games, Victor superseded the expectations of many, including Canada’s renowned decathlete and Gold medalist Damain Warner.

What’s it like to be a Decathlete from the Caribbean?

According to Victor, being a decathlete from the Caribbean can be challenging, but “it’s lots of fun. It’s something that I have dreamt of ever since I started the decathlon. Being someone from a small island like Grenada, and competing [against] some of the best, it’s like a dream come true, and it just goes to show that you can be great no matter what country you are from.”

As with everything else, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and Victor is no exception. For those who follow the sport, it is quite noticeable that Victor’s strengths lie with his exceptional throws. “My strengths are definitely the throws,” he affirmed, as he expressed his gratitude to his coach in Grenada, Paul Phillip.

Of the 10 events, Victor believes that Pole Vaulting, which is quite new to him, is the one which is a bit challenging, especially since it is not common in Grenada. “It is an event that has been getting better for me”, and he believes that with practice it would become one of his better events.

The other challenge faced by Victor, is that of finding shoe sponsorship. “Since the Decathlon is not a premier event like the 400m or 100m, shoe companies are not willing to invest in decathletes from the Caribbean.”

Probing more into the training like and what it is like for a decathlete, The Barnacle News Team was informed that Victor normally trains 6 days per week for 5 hours per day, which in itself can be very stressful. However, Victor’s main motivations, which include winning an Olympic Medal, inspiring young Grenadians and to be able to give back to his community, keeps him going.

When not in training, Victor stated that he enjoys playing Basketball, as it helps to keep his mind off Track & Field and still keeps him fit.

What’s next for Lindon Victor?

“Yes, I know that I have lots of improvements to make because most of the events are still [fairly] new to me,” he added. But, Grenadians can definitely look forward to much more from this young chap, who prides himself on representing his country as a decathlete. His next competition is 28 May 2018 in Germany, where he will compete again against some of the world’s top decathletes.

What advice would you give to young aspiring decathletes?

“The decathlon takes lots of discipline and hard work [and] I would encourage Grenadians to get involved,” said the meek young man, who throughout the years still remains an avid sports enthusiast. As a young role model to many, Victor believes that hard work and dedication can lead to success.