‘This one hit hard’

Middle- and long-distance coach at Kingston College (KC) Hamlin Pagon is among members of the local track and field community paying tribute to experienced coach and teacher Rahnsomn Edwards.

Edwards passed away in hospital yesterday after a period of ill health.

Pagon told The Gleaner that Edwards was not only a colleague but a close friend.

“He left KC for Wolmer’s, but even after he left, we remained good friends. As recent as the last National Trials we sat beside each other in the Grandstand and talked. This one is rough. I tried to visit him last week, but when I got to KPH, he was not on the ward as he was doing a medical procedure then the weekend was Corporate Area Champs and only to hear that he had passed and I never got to see him.”

Pagon described Edwards as a great coach.

“He coached short sprints and hurdles, and KC got excellent results under him. We could not complain. He was also knowledgeable about other areas. We could sit and discuss about training in general, what is needed in all areas, even my area in middle distances he could relate. We would talk about each other’s disciplines. This one really hits hard,” Pagon told The Gleaner.

Edwards impacted the careers of hundreds of athletes having coached at Bridgeport High, Vere Technical, Manchester High, St Jago High, Kingston College, Wolmer’s Boys’, and Jamaica College.