By Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter
(From left) brothers André and Dean-Julian Weatherly pose with some of the trophies they have raked in during their exploits in the sporting arena. - Paul Reid / Staff Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
GIVEN THEIR genes, it was no surprise that the first two sons of Dr. Dean Weatherly would excel in sports. No one expected they would have excelled in their respective sports, however. Twenty-year-old André has been bitten by the speed bug and in three years has established himself as one of the rising stars on the Jamaican motor sports scene.
Fifteen-year-old Dean-Julian who stands a towering six feet four inches "and growing" has chosen the more sedate sport of golf and the newly-crowned national under-15 champion is rocketing to the top as fast as his brother.
Given their father's expertise as one of the island's top football coaches and their uncle Paul's influence in helping Cornwall College to win every schoolboy football title available as a member of the Steve Bucknor-coached Cornwall College daCosta Cup teams between 1982 and 1984, it was a given that the younger Weatherlys would try and make their mark in football.
Both were quick to admit, however, that football is not where their skills are. According to André, "I did enough time sitting on the bench in the Under-14 team and decided that it was not for me."
Despite the obvious differences in their games, both were quick to point out one thing they had in common "tremendous support" from their families in more ways than one.
At age 17, after watching his uncle, Junior Barnes, a top Jamaican motor sport driver, for a number of years, André decided to give it a try and found out he was natural for the sport.
Not that his introduction was smooth as he rolled the car in his first event held at Ironshore. He was quick to point out, however, that even with frequent accidents that are inherent to the sport, he thinks it is as safe as any other. "We have so many things to protect us, roll cages, seat belts, racing suits, there are hardly ever any serious injuries no matter how bad the accidents may appear," he pointed out.
André, who now drives a 1998 Mitsubishi Mivec, having switched from rear wheel to front-wheel drive this year, says he wants to drive as long as he is able to.
A two-week stint at the world-famous Bill Gwinn Rally School in England, he said, has improved his driving skill, making him more aware of the little things that will take him further in his sport.
After notching up a number of achievements in his short time in the sport, including Montego Bay Motoring Club rookie of the year in 2001, rear-wheel champion in that same year, second fastest two-wheel drive at the Jamaica Motoring Club 2001 International Stages Rally and first in the JA3 class at the Lydford Rally, André is turning his sights to international competition.
He is hoping to compete at the Barbados Rally this year and thinks he will do well.
Participating in motor sports at any level is an expensive venture and, according to Weatherly, it can cost anything between $10,000 at the minimum and $1 million at the highest end to prepare for an event, be it a stages or tarmac rally, a dexterity or a sprint.
Golf is also an expensive pursuit but the younger Weatherly has a clear vision of his future in the sport and how it will all pay off in the end.
Making the national junior team this year and eventually earning a scholarship to an American University are the short and medium term plans for the former Under-16 bowler at Cornwall College.
For the immediate future, however, Dean-Julian who is proud of his best score a 709 gross at a caddy event held at the White Witch Course in Rose Hall, says he hopes to continue to work on his overall game.
He got involved in the game in 2000, he said, at his mother Martena's insistence after he and his brothers, Khalil and Mikhail, were playing the video version at home one day and she asked them if they would like to play the real game. She got them enrolled in a summer camp and he found he liked it immediately.
Up to then his knowledge of the game was limited to world number one Tiger Woods and not about his game but the person. Now he lists another American, Phil Mikelson, as among his favourite players because of his "attitude" and approach to the game.
Despite what he describes as "endless hours, every day" practising, he still has a long way to go before he will be satisfied with his game.
He has come a long way and credits local teaching professional, Cebert Walker, with turning around his game and re-igniting his passion for the sport.
Since being introduced to Walker, Dean-Julian says his game has "improved by about 200 per cent". He had stopped about a year ago, he said, as he was getting fed up with the lack of progress in his game and thought he was not getting anywhere.
A simple thing as changing his grip he said has produced remarkable results and the lowering of his scores and his winning junior events, including the Rotary Club events for 2001 and 2002.
Despite his obvious size and expected power, Dean-Julian says the best part of his game is his short game and gets "mostly two putts".
