Devon Harris
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This is about the athlete. For the music producer, see Devo Springsteen.
Devon Harris (born 1964 in Kingston, Jamaica) was one of the members of the first Jamaican Bobsled Team, which first competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Nicknamed "Pele" after the famous football star, Harris went on to compete in the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Harris grew up in the Kingston ghetto of Sunrise Drive in Olympic Gardens (known as "Waterhouse," or "Firehouse," because it was a volatile area). A graduate of Drews Ave Primary School, Ardenne High School, and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Harris had been an avid soccer-player and track and field participant, with his dream being to represent Jamaica in the 1984 Summer Olympics in the 800m and 1500 m events. Since the idea for a Jamaican Bobsled Team was pitched to the Jamaica Defence Force, Harris, as a Lieutenant in the Second Battalion, first came across the proposal in a weekly army publication called "Force Orders" in September 1987. The text had called for those who wished to “undergo rigorous and dangerous training " to represent Jamaica in the Winter Olympics. Harris initially thought the idea was ridiculous, but was eventually convinced to participate by his colonel. At the team selections, Harris ended up with the fastest push time.
Harris returned to the military after Calgary and later became a civilian in 1992 after his second Olympics. He now works as a motivational public speaker and writer.
