Student-athletes from all across Jamaica were given the opportunity of a lifetime as attendees at the inaugural staging of the Pocket Rocket Foundation Student-Athlete Summit and Development Seminar held on Tuesday at the AC Hotel in Kingston.

Some of the future stars of Jamaica were treated to well educated insight through presentations on a number of topics crucial to their development as both athletes in their respective fields as well as in the classroom and, eventually, in the real world.

Founder and Chairwoman of the Pocket Rocket Foundation, the hon. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, delivered a powerful message to those present at Tuesday’s event.

“When I founded the Pocket Rocket Foundation a decade ago, I envisioned the day we would create a space for you, our student-athletes, where you would be celebrated, supported and empowered,” she said.

“My years on the track have taught me countless life lessons but there are some I wish I had learned earlier in my life and career. This is why this summit was created, to give you access to those lessons now, so you can build your future equipped with clarity and confidence,” added the three-time Olympic and 10-time World champion.

The series of presentations began with Dr. Olivia Rose, PhD, a performance psychologist and visionary CEO with over 17 years of experience in sports psychology, leadership and strategic planning.

Her presentation was centered around helping the student-athletes to understand how to build mental resilience both in their sport and in the classroom.

Attorney-at-Law and former Jamaica College track and field standout, Sekou Clarke, was next to present as the keynote speaker.

Clarke provided some inspiring words to the students, offering up his own story as an example of why they should never neglect their studies.

He mentioned thinking at an early age that track and field would make him rich while his parents would always ensure that he focused on his studies.

Today, Clarke is an award-winning attorney, entrepreneur and advocate dedicated to immigrant rights and justice.

He is also the founder of The Sekou Clarke Law Group with offices across the USA and internationally, leading a top firm in Immigration and Personal Injury law.

Another important part of being both a successful student and athlete is nutrition and this presentation was given by Dr. Christine Fray-Aiken, PhD.

She encouraged the students to focus on a balanced, whole-food diet rich in carbohydrates and healthy fats to foster peak performance.

Politician and 1993 Miss World winner Lisa Hanna presented on the importance of time management when it comes to success in the classroom, encouraging students to own their tomorrow before it starts, protect their time like it’s gold and own their tomorrow before it starts.

Lastly, physiotherapist Yael Jagbir spoke about one of the most important aspects of being an athlete, recovery and how it ties in to injury prevention.

Jagbir, who has worked with Olympic medallists, World champions and elite athletes across a number of sports, encouraged student-athletes with tips such as making recovery a part of their daily routine, using a planner to incorporate all of their school and sporting activities and finding teammates to keep them accountable to their recovery routine.

Student-Athletes were also grateful for the opportunity to learn things that will help them going forward.

“As a student-athlete, I think this experience is to help me understand how to improve myself mentally in terms of overcoming challenges suck as injuries, bad performances and just teach me resilience overall so whatever else I face in life, I can use these lessons to overcome those challenges,” Campion College footballer Stream Cha told Sportsmax.tv.

St. Andrew High School swimmer Konomi Foster offered similar sentiments.

“After learning what I’ve learnt today, it’s going to help me moving forward with how I deal with things, especially sports with races and my nutrition because health is important. I think it will help me with everything in life, overall,” she said.

This is just the latest initiative by Fraser-Pryce’s foundation geared towards uplifting the next generation.

The PRF, founded in 2013, has given out 93 academic scholarships across 12 sporting disciplines from 31 Jamaican High Schools.