In December 1987, PEOPLE magazine sent Will to Jamaica to shoot the Jamaica bobsled team in training for the Winter Olympics.
Jamaica had never competed in the winter games. Not only were facilities lacking, but funds were scarce.
Frederick Powell was nicknamed "Junction" for the rural village where he lived. He rode a bus every day to Kingston to practice.
A bus stop can be dangerous.
Dudley Stokes came from better circumstances, and was a helicopter pilot in the Jamaican Air Force.
Dudley Stokes at work on the air force base.
To train, the team pushed a sled through sand on the beach. They attracted a lot of local attention.
Will and the team, minus one member who was AWOL in Canada or the U.S.; nobody was sure.
A glamour shot
The idea for a bobsled team came from the Jamaican tradition of racing pushcarts.
A friendly pushcart vendor on a street in Kingston
The team recorded its own theme song in the same studio that recorded Bob Marley as well as Toots and the Maytals. The producer was P.C. Harris.
The team runs on the beach.
Pushing a sled through sand was like pushing a bobsled through snow. Kind of.
Practicing with their wheeled sled at the air force base.
The team had a national fan base by the time they boarded the plane to Lake Placid. Their adventures became the basis for the movie "Cool Runnings", and the bobsled event is now a Jamaican tradition.
In December 1987, PEOPLE magazine sent Will to Jamaica to shoot the Jamaica bobsled team in training for the Winter Olympics. Jamaica had never competed in the winter games. Not only were facilities lacking, but funds were scarce. Frederick Powell was nicknamed A bus stop can be dangerous. Dudley Stokes came from better circumstances, and was a helicopter pilot in the Jamaican Air Force. Dudley Stokes at work on the air force base. To train, the team pushed a sled through sand on the beach. They attracted a lot of local attention. Will and the team, minus one member who was AWOL in Canada or the U.S.; nobody was sure. A glamour shot The idea for a bobsled team came from the Jamaican tradition of racing pushcarts. A friendly pushcart vendor on a street in Kingston The team recorded its own theme song in the same studio that recorded Bob Marley as well as Toots and the Maytals. The producer was P.C. Harris. The team runs on the beach. Pushing a sled through sand was like pushing a bobsled through snow. Kind of. Practicing with their wheeled sled at the air force base. The team had a national fan base by the time they boarded the plane to Lake Placid. Their adventures became the basis for the movie