The United States of America’s loss is Samoa’s gain. Indeed, that was the overwhelming feeling when Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi and the Minister of Education, Sports and Culture (M.E.S.C), Magele Mauiliu Magele, welcomed the newest addition to the local athletics scene, track and field athlete, Jeremy Dodson.
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Dodson, 27, from Phoenix Arizona, is a track runner who can compete in the 100, 200 and 400metres. He has switched allegiances and will pushing for a spot in Samoa’s Olympic team for Rio next year.
On Friday, the M.E.S.C hosted a welcoming lunch for the star. During an interview with the Sunday Samoan, Dodson said he is pleased to be able to return to represent Samoa. The athlete is the son of Peggy Mauala, of Malie and Cyrus Dodson, of the United States. “I represented the United States for so many years but during all that time it just didn’t feel right,” he said. “I was just another person, another sprinter.”
Dodson also has personal reasons for coming to Samoa. “My mother is Samoan and she hasn’t been back home in so long and so I felt in order to get her back here to her roots, I have to represent Samoa. This will be my chance to help my mother out. She hasn’t been home for thirty years and she hasn’t seen her family for so long so I guess this is my way to help my mother connect back to her family.”
The plan for the long term is to eventually relocate to Samoa.
Asked about some of the challenges in changing country, he said it is getting to know the people. “Being ranked top ten in the world, I knew a lot of people and have a lot of connections and I knew the committee,” he said. “However representing Samoa, it was trying to find out who the committee was, who everybody is starting from the government people and that was a tough challenge.”
“But now I’m here I can see everybody’s face to face and can actually put faces to names and I can connect and communicate better with them.”
So how does it feel to change the flag he will be carrying?
“I love how the flag looks and so it means so much more just to put that on,” he said. “I get to pull the Samoan flag and there is so much culture behind it that you be more proud to say that you are Samoan.”
“I want to learn everything, life, culture just how the life is every day.” Jeremy has a younger brother, Quinton, who is also a sprinter.
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