Richard Williams
I have written several stories for this website but this one is personal for me. This story is about my brother.
I have known Andrew Williams all my life, he is one year younger than me. For most of those years, Andrew has always displayed an ambition to create his own destiny, to launch his own rocket.
His journey from Jamaica to the United States more than 20 years ago was an opportunity to realize some of his biggest dreams. Like many immigrants, the road was full of many turns and stops but Andrew had the strength and determination that his dream of starting his own business would be realized.
He took a detour, one that many of us would consider a success. He became IT Manager for a fast growing South Florida bank. But Andrew was not contented to settle for a comfortable well paying job at the expense of forgetting about his dream.
I still remember the night when he called me to tell me that he had resigned his job to dedicate his time to his passion, table tennis. I thought, Is he crazy? Many people would be grateful to have his job. But Andrew’s dream was to launch the first social network for table tennis enthusiasts.
For the past two and a half years, my brother has been working tirelessly on realizing his dream to connect table tennis players from all over the world.
Last week as I read his press release, PongUniverse Launches The First – Ever Social Networking App for Table Tennis Enthusiasts, I felt a sense of pride.
Yes, my brother, you said it back then when we were both teenagers, “someday I’ll have my own business, I’ll do my own thing”
He has and continues to face many challenges but the strength and determination learnt from growing up in Jamaica has helped him to overcome many of those hurdles.
Andrew’s love of Table Tennis, a game he played while growing up in Jamaica, remains his passion. He continues to volunteer throughout Florida.
Recently my brother, his supporting wife Barbara and their two children, appeared on a Sarasota based ABC Television station.
You can watch the video below.
This story is not a plug for my brother, it is a story that highlights the strength and depth of Caribbean people. There are many people like my brother, who immigrated abroad. They too have dreams. They too are realizing their true potential. Although many take different paths, they continue to show what’s great and unique about Caribbean people.
