Happy New Year! The new calendar year brings trepidations and optimism. COVID-19 wreaked havoc on 2020 and threatens to do so for 2021. Yet with vaccines in the air, and a better understanding of the virus itself, there is some optimism. For the region, the mantra of mask wearing, sanitizing and social distancing is likely to be the working formula for most of this year. Yet the resilience displayed by staff and students in overcoming the many hurdles to ensure that academic pursuit and good sense could coexist has allowed us to look forward with greater hope.

Many of us have resumed sporting activities in limited ways and others look forward to their resurgence soon. The UWI has been a leader in shaping and implementing policy in the region and the Faculty of Sport has played its part. With all the sacrifice and hard work, we can start to see us playing a bigger role through our facilities in the resumption of sport. Our staff and our student athletes will have a bigger role to play to ensure that we lead through example as we face an Olympic year, major world and regional competitions and our own domestic ones.

May the spirit of resilience and innovation continue to make us agile and adaptable as we face one of the most challenging years in our lives. And with that, may we continue our journey towards normalization.