Canadian sprinter Brendon Rodney helping with hurricane relief aid in Jamaica

Brendon Rodney knows even helping a few people is enough to make a big difference.

The three-time Olympic medallist sprinter from Toronto lives in Jamaica where Hurricane Melissa caused significant damage, mainly in the northwest and southwest parts of the country. The Category 5 hurricane hit the island last week and took a number of lives as well.

“It’s always tough because it’s my home, … I live here, but it’s my home away from home,” he said. “And the people that have been affected are not just people that I don’t know. But of course my training partners, the students at the school and many different people that I interact with on a day to day, month to month basis. 

“So for me, this is difficult because you can’t help everybody, but as long as you can help one, two or three people then it does make a big difference. So for us, it’s just finding ways that we can help in any possible way.”

Rodney is part of a hurricane relief committee at G.C. Foster College in Spanish Town, where they’re working on gathering aid internationally and locally for those in need. He said those most affected require essentials such as clean water, food, sanitary supplies and tarps as a temporary replacement for their roofs until they can receive supplies to rebuild them.

“With us being athletes and in track and field, we are somewhat privileged and we have the privilege of training for our job. We travel the world, we get to see a lot of places,” Rodney said. “So for the place that we live to be damaged so badly, it hurts our hearts.”

In Spanish Town, he says, life is “slowly but surely” getting back to normal. But not without heavy hearts knowing what others are dealing with.

The 33-year-old Rodney was born and raised in Toronto to parents from Jamaica. He moved to the country a decade ago after finishing up at Long Island University-Brooklyn, where he earned a Masters of Science in Exercise Science.

“I’m always doing things that are against the grain,” Rodney said. “(It) was just a good fit for me at the time when I actually came here young in my career. I was training in New York and it was cold, you know, the concrete jungle, of course. 

“So now moving to Jamaica, I got to be in the warm weather, … have a lower cost of living, of course, than New York. And just enjoy life in a different way.”

Training aside, he is also the assistant athletic director at G.C. Foster College.

“This is where I won the bulk of my medals for track and field,” he said. ” … I was an adjunct lecturer at first at the college and then I became assistant athletic director. 

“Both my parents are Jamaican and they have houses and family and friends here as well so that’s where my connection has been from. A very young age, me being in Jamaica, throughout my youth growing up as well.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2025.