SWIMMER DYLAN Carter and chess player Javanna Smith won the respective Male and Female Personalities of the Year accolades on Friday.
The duo was named as the top individual performers at the fifth annual First Citizens Sports Foundation Youth Awards held at the Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain.
Carter, currently enrolled at the University of Southern California in the United States, earned a pair of medals at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.
He took silver in the men’s 50-metre butterfly in 23.81 seconds and then got bronze in the men’s 50m freestyle in 22.53 seconds.
Speaking to the audience live via Skype, Carter noted, “thanks to God, my parents, my coaches, everybody who supported me to get this far. It’s a surreal feeling.”
Smith became the first Trinidad and Tobago female FIDE Master when she placed third in the women’s category at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Under-20 Championships in Costa Rica.
The top 10 personalities for 2014 were also revealed – Carter, Smith, Naim Mohammed (badminton), Sachin Kumar (golf), Kristin Julien (swimming), Joshua Johnson (chess), Jeminise Parris (track and field), Kollyn St George (cycling), Akanni Hislop (track and field) and Akil Campbell (cycling).
A total of 39 persons – 22 male and 17 female – were vying for the coveted awards – Male and Female Personalities of the Year.
Top 10: Kristin Julien (swimming), Akanni Hislop (athletics), Sachin Kumar (golf), Kollyn St George (cycling), Dylan Carter (swimming), Jeminise Parris (athletics), Javanna Smith (chess), Joshua Johnson (chess), Akil Campbell (cycling), Naim Mohammed (badminton).