Thirty-three years ago, T&T's very own Hasely Crawford earned the prestigious title of the fastest man on earth. The country still remembers that fateful day, when Crawford's feet crossed the finish line ahead of his competitors in the 100m sprint at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada. The San Fernando native became T&T's first Olympic gold medallist.
Today, Crawford, the seventh of eleven children, remains a hero in the hearts of his fellowmen, on and off the track field, and an inspiration to many young athletes in T&T and the Caribbean. Celebrity Christmas tracked down the living legend to find out what's high on his Christmas agenda.
Q: What does Christmas mean to you?
A: To me, Christmas means bonding with the family.
Q: What do you do on Christmas day?
A: I cook a big pot of cowheel soup and sleep.
Q: What's your most memorable Christmas moment?
A: It was when my son, Harlan, was old enough to understand what Christmas is all about and he opened his first gift of a toy car. He was so overjoyed and seeing how happy he was really meant a lot to me. I really felt happy.
Q: Can you remember your most prized Christmas gift?
A: When my sister June, who lives in Canada, who I didn't see in about 20 years, surprised me on Christmas morning two years ago and spent Christmas with me.
Q: Which do you prefer, turkey or ham?
A: Ham...I am a pork lover!
Q: What do you look forward to the most at Christmas time?
A: The old Christmas songs. My favourite one is I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.
Q: When you were young, did you believe in Santa Claus?
A: Yes, I did, until I reached about 15 years old and I saw my dad go in the car trunk and pull out a bag of stuffed toys. Then I realised there was really no Santa.