Among one of the great Disney movies that you can find on the studio’s streaming service is Cool Runnings, which chronicles the journey of four Jamaicans to compete in the Winter Olympics as bobsledders. I remember seeing the film–notable for being one of John Candy’s last before his untimely death–when it was released in theaters.
The person I am working with on the initiatives of the International Cultural Consortium (ICC) has a similar story. He competed in the bobsled at the Olympics, but not for Jamaica. Instead, he represented Puerto Rico, which is on the opposite side of the Caribbean from Jamaica.
Liston Bochette ran track at the University of Florida, where he later was named to its athletic program’s Hall of Fame; and made three Olympic Games with the Puerto Rican team. Outside of competition, Liston has made a name for himself as an artist as well as a political figure, running for office in his hometown of Fort Myers, Fla. The ICC, which Liston started and serves as its chairman, closely reflects his passions of art and sporting competition so again, it is a real thrill to be able to work with him as he looks to advance the goals of his organization.
We had another conversation today in addition to the one yesterday about my role in those efforts. Still cannot share all the details with you to preserve the integrity of this project but I like what Liston is doing and I think this is going to be a great project.