A Story of Perseverance: Kymarni Newton U17 Boys 800m Bronze Medallist

By: SKN Athletics

Success is rarely a straight race to the finish line; for Kymarni Newton, it is a journey defined by the grit to keep showing up.

Standing as the lone medallist for Team St Kitts Nevis at the 2026 CARIFTA Games in Grenada, Kymarni’s bronze medal is the result of years of “near-misses” and relentless perseverance.

This achievement was three years in the making:

2024 (Grenada): A tough debut, exiting in the preliminary rounds.
2025 (Trinidad): 9th place—just one spot away from the finals.
2026 (Grenada): A Bronze Medal and a podium finish.

Kymarni didn’t just find the podium; he worked hard until he got onto it. With a stunning time of 1:55:34, he shattered the 13-year-old record of 1:58.03 previously held by Kajon Parris since 2013 at the CARIFTA Games in Nassau,Bahamas. His progression tells the real story: shaving his time down from 2:10:27 to 2:02:22, and finally to his record-breaking 1:55:34.

This bronze medal was not acquired without obstacles, in a twist that perfectly captures his weekend of overcoming, Kymarni almost missed the flight from St. Kitts to Grenada after realising his passport was still at home! Newton’s story went from frantic to historic. Kymarni has proven that no hurdle—on or off the track—is too high.

Join us in congratulating Kymarni Newton on his bronze medal and his new national record!