Harrogate Olympian Axel Brown has treated children at his former prep school to a special show and tell.
Axel Brown attended Brackenfield School between 1995-2003 and returned recently to talk about competing in the two-man bobsleigh at this year’s winter Olympics in Beijing, representing Trinidad and Tobago, the country of his mother’s birth.
Children had the chance to sit in Mr Brown’s bobsleigh and ask questions about his rise to Olympic fame.
Children try out the bobsleigh.
When he competed in Beijing, the school took time out of the day to watch on the big screen and cheer him on.
Mr Brown, who had seen a video of the children watching him, said:
“Seeing the kids cheering me on and chanting my name still gives me goosebumps. Seeing that was genuinely one of the most fulfilling moments of the whole experience. It’s those moments that make it all worth it.”
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Joe Masterson, headteacher at Brackenfield, said:
“Representing Trinidad and Tobago on the international stage is a huge accolade not only for Axel, but for us too – we couldn’t be more proud of the heights Axel has reached so far and we’re certain there is more to come from our super-fast and super-agile ex-pupil!”
Mr Brown, who also attended Harrogate Grammar School, played American football for Division 1 NCAA team the Colorado State Rams before taking up bobsleigh in 2014.
He said:
“I have always preferred sports with short fast efforts like sprinting, which is why I played American football in place of rugby. I also like the idea of taking one aspect of a skill and trying to do it really well, so bobsleigh has allowed me to focus and really find a niche.”
Founded in 1977, Brackenfield, is an independent school for boys and girls aged two to 11.
Disappointment for Harrogate bobsleigher Axel Brown at Winter OlympicsHarrogate’s Axel Brown competed for the Trinidad and Tobago bobsleigh team today in the Beijing Winter Olympics.
However, there was disappointment as out of 30 countries, the two-man team he piloted finished 28th in heat 1 and 27th in heat 2. Both heats today were won by Germany.
But the Olympic dream is not over yet as Brown’s team will compete in heat 3 and 4 tomorrow.
Brown was born and raised in Harrogate. He attended Harrogate Grammar School from 2003 to 2011 and excelled at American football and taekwondo before discovering bobsleigh in 2014.
He previously competed for Great Britain but qualified to switch to Trinidad and Tobago because his mum is from Pointe-a-Pierre in the country.
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Writing on Instagram, Brown said he was looking forward to competing again tomorrow.
Harrogate man to compete at Winter Olympics for Trinidad & Tobago bobsleigh team“Olympic Games run 1&2, done! The 20 year wait is over! 🇹🇹 Very happy with what we accomplished, especially given our setbacks! Very happy with my drive, looking forward to improving again tomorrow.
“Thank you SO MUCH for all the support. It really does mean the world. I’ll get round to replying as soon as I can! Time to focus up and hit the track again tomorrow!”
Harrogate man Axel Brown will compete for the Trinidad & Tobago bobsleigh team in the Beijing Winter Olympics, which kicks off today.
If you ask someone about bobsleigh, most people will recall the 1993 smash hit film Cool Runnings. It featured the trials and tribulations of the Jamaica team as it battled to compete in the Winter Olympics.
Brown was born and raised in Harrogate. He attended Harrogate Grammar School from 2003 to 2011 and excelled at American football and taekwondo before discovering bobsleigh in 2014.
He previously competed for Great Britain but qualified to switch to Trinidad & Tobago because his mum is from Pointe-a-Pierre in the country.
For the uninitiated, bobsleigh is a winter sport where teams barrel down an iced track in an aerodynamic sleigh while racing against the clock.
Brown has a crucial role as the pilot of the team, and sits in the sleigh to steer it along so it can produce the greatest speed.
The Caribbean country hasn’t competed in the games for 20 years, and Brown is hoping their efforts can inspire a new generation.
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Speaking to Trinidad & Tobago Newsday in December, Brown said:
“It is exciting that now all of a sudden the Trinidad & Tobago population is kind of embracing us and what we are able to do.
“Hopefully there are other Trinidad & Tobago teams that are inspired by what we are doing. I think we certainly have the athletic pool from which to choose great athletes from but also the four that we’ve got at the moment are doing incredibly well and I am really excited to see what they can do.”
The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 opening ceremony takes place today, where Brown will be cheered on from back home.
Brown is a supporter of Harrogate horticulture charity Horticap, which showed its support for him when some of its students held the Trinidad & Tobago flag.
