LIME Secures Sweet Partnership with sprinter Yohan Blake

LIME's Grace Silvera and 100m World Champion, Yohan Blake cut a custom cake as St. Jago High School students look on

Telecommunications provider LIME has welcomed 100m World Champion, Yohan Blake to its cadre of top athlete brand ambassadors.

The highlight of ‘Jamaica Day’ activities staged at Blake’s alma mater, St. Jago High School on February 17, the company announced a three-year partnership with the 22-year-old star athlete.

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Mr. Yohan ‘The Beast’ Blake, speed sensation and future Olympian to Team LIME,” said Grace Silvera, LIME’s Regional Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Communications.

The ‘Yohan Blake Spirit’ represents the power of aspiration and he exhibits the determination and soul that galvanizes and unifies our nation.”

“While we salute his athleticism, we also celebrate his perseverance, tenacity and excellence, which is the hallmark of the Jamaican people,” Ms. Silvera said.

“We look forward to a fantastic relationship with him and promise to throw our full support behind him as he continues to make his mark in the international athletics arena,” she added.

Silvera also highlighted that LIME has made a donation of $300,000 to Yohan’s charitable organization, the YB Afraid Foundation, which spearheads the athlete’s philanthropic efforts. A further $100,000 was presented to St. Jago to support the building of an athletics gym at the school.

An enthusiastic Blake said “I am excited to have LIME as a partner and proud to be their brand ambassador as they are a great company that has contributed a lot to Jamaica’s development.

“I am also very pleased with the level of support they have committed to my foundation, YB Afraid, which works to support young people in Jamaica. Both on and off the track, I intend to continue making LIME and all of Jamaica proud,” he added.

Coached by the renowned Glen Mills, Blake ran a 100m personal best of 9.82 seconds in Zurich on September 9, 2011, followed by a world leading time of 19.26 seconds in Brussels on September 16.

"The Beast" also boasts an impressive list of achievements as a junior sprinter, and is less than three years removed from being a LIME CARIFTA champion. He also holds the CARIFTA record for the under-20 men's 100m.

The athlete will be prominently featured in LIME’s salute of the 2012 London Olympics and the Jamaica 50 Independence celebrations.