Golden Jubilee Honors for Belize’s Golden Girls

Fifty years ago, British Honduras, now Belize, celebrated the country’s first ever gold medal on an international stage. The National Women’s Softball Team, now dubbed the “Golden Girls” were the ones to secure that medal at the twelfth Central American and Caribbean Games. The Golden Girls lost only one match in those games to Puerto Rico. Ironically, they faced off against Puerto Rico in the gold medal match and dominated. The Golden Girls returned home to a hero’s welcome at the international airport, a motorcade through the streets, and sports enthusiasts filling local stadiums to watch the Golden Girls in action. Half of a century later, they were honored as Belizean patriots. But how much does the nation know about and remember the Golden Girls? News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Half a century after the Golden Girls secured the country’s first gold medal in any sport on an international stage, the members of that historic women’s national softball team are being recognized as Belizean patriots. Fifty years ago, they were teenagers with their entire lives ahead of them. Five members of that team have since passed away. The surviving members have aged graciously. We sat down with International Hall of Fame Softball Pitcher Linda Lewis-Brown and her 1974 teammate, Deborah Theus- Sanchez.

 

Linda Lewis- Brown, Former Softball Athlete

“At that time when we went for that team, I was playing with Berger and she was playing with Guiness. Originally, both of us played for Guiness. We were junior players. We started when they had the Lynchs and the Budna, all the high players that use to go to Jamaica. We aspired to be the same.”

Lewis was sixteen years old at the time. Theus was nineteen years old.

 

Linda Lewis-Brown

“It was so competitive. The players that was selected really worked hard. We went to practice at four o’clock in the morning. We were working and going to school, and then in the evening and on the weekends my dad made sure I was on the road, the Cemetery Road. We were extremely fit at that time. And Jude Lizama, he is one of the previous coaches, he reminded me that preparing for these games we played against the men team.”

 

Before being selected for the national team, Lewis and Theus were rivals on the softball field. But, on the national softball team, they were encouraged to put aside their differences and egos to represent Belize. By the time the national selection travelled to the 1974 games in the Dominican Republic, they already had a reputation as one of the dominant teams in the region.

 

Deborah Theus- Sanchez, Former Softball Athlete

“They would take us to the park like two, three hours before the game. Those teams would be out there throwing ball, batting, running. We were not use to that. We use to get up in the morning practice, go in the evening practice. But we did not have those hours to be out there warming up. Mr. Lashley made a very important decision when he said, look ladies we are not going be out here with these people. Come out, observe what it going on and when it is time for us to play, we will do what we normally do.”

Fifty years later, they have a hard time remembering the exact statistics of each of the games played, except for the gold medal game. In that matchup against Puerto Rico’s national team, they won convincingly over their opponents, fourteen runs to two. News of Belize’s first international gold medal went across the Caribbean and made it back home before their return.

 

Linda Lewis-Brown

“To tell you the truth, from that day, until we landed, after we landed, the reception we got from the Belizean community was amazing. I could still remember coming at the airport, greeted by a lot of people at the airport. The next day we had a parade. The children were on the sidewalk. It was unbelievable.”

 

Deborah Theus- Sanchez

“The whole celebration thing was exciting. As a Belizean, it was the first time that you would see a mass of people coming out to see these people that won this gold. It was very exciting to be on that truck and everybody was waving. It was like the tenth of September. We were happy and excited about the parade itself.”

As Theus and Lewis explained, the Golden Girl brought the nation together as they travelled across different softball stadiums to play friendly matches and put their talent on full display. Only a few years later, they both migrated to the U.S.A, which was a common practice at the time for young Belizeans seeking out better opportunities. Today, Theus is enjoying her retirement back home. Lewis frequently travels back to Belize. On this occasion, she returned home to be honored at the Tribute to Belizean Patriots Award Ceremony.

 

Deborah Theus- Sanchez

“I was honored and humbled to be recognized in that way. But, at the same time I think the team was forgotten, because as an Olympic person I think that is etched in history in whatever country you go to. If you are an Olympian it should be etched in the history in not only the softball, but the entire country of Belize. That means, if you become a minister or something, you should have known about the Golden Girls, because we were the first. We put Belize on the map and I think we should have been recognized a little earlier than now. Even though it is done and we appreciate it. I would appreciate if it could be something that don’t wait until a hundred years to come back and say thank you for what we did, you know.”

 

Linda Lewis-Brown

“I want to give credit to the prime minister. He did say that this team, he recognize this team as the very first gold medal team. I was very impressed by the way he recognized us. Thinking of it, a lot of people have forgotten us, but in his speech he recognized us and he remembers us.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.