Saint Lucian fitness enthusiast and athlete Jordan Florentville recently completed a 90-kilometre ultramarathon in Qatar—an event described by participants as the most anticipated race in the Middle Eastern nation.
Dubbed the Qatar East to West Ultra, the race, held on Saint Lucia’s National Day, December 13, spanned from Doha on the east coast to Dukhan Beach on the west coast, taking runners past iconic landmarks. Participants competed in the event either individually or as relay teams.
Although the desert conditions presented a serious test of endurance, even for the most seasoned runners, Florentville said it was “no real major challenge” other than strained hamstrings from the obvious toll on his body.
The Babonneau native said the opportunity to represent Saint Lucia on the international stage meant the world to him.
“Honestly, there’s always a sense of pride when I represent Saint Lucia,” he said. “I don’t do it in the conventional diplomatic way where this is a live event and people follow it and the nation is behind me. Most of the places I go, I find myself as the only Saint Lucian. Sometimes I’m amongst Caribbean people, but most of the time, for these types of events, I usually find myself as the only Caribbean person there.
“So I feel duty-bound, when people ask me where Saint Lucia is or where it’s located, to remind them that Saint Lucia is not some part of Africa, though we have our roots there; we are our own sovereign, independent nation, with a group of people who possess amazing abilities.”
Florentville is no stranger to strenuous endurance feats. He participated in the Three Peak Challenge, climbing Mount Gimmie, Petit Piton, and Gros Piton in a single day. Additionally, last year, he was part of a team that scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, the highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere.
The athlete encouraged others to embrace a fitness-based lifestyle, as it provides meaningful accomplishments.
“I think people should get into fitness for the very simple reason that just by being fitter, your life quite literally gets better by default. You feel better day to day because you’re stronger, faster, and able to last longer in whatever you decide to do, surpassing your baseline,” Florentville said. “Personally, I would say fitness is one of the easiest ways to see practical hard work manifest into something that is not just tangible, but also visible in front of you.”
