Bob Griffiths, 62, Riverside, California
“Don’t worry…about a thing…cause every little thing gonna be alright.”
Attendees to the 2022 Celebration of Athletes were soothed by the words of Bob Marley that were sung by track sprinter Bob Griffiths, who also energized the crowd with his words of encouragement. The teacher, worship leader and certified wellness coach had shared the same song in a Facebook video during the pandemic to reassure fellow athletes that we would be together again. There was no better way to acknowledge the hardships and celebrate the reunion than to invite Bob to reprise his song.
‘One of the things I have learned about myself is that I am good with providing words of affirmation to others,” Bob says. “So it was a wonderful opportunity during the pandemic, and again at the Games. Before I sang the Bob Marley song I chose to break down the meanings of the word ‘survivor’ to help everyone there appreciate what we have all accomplished.”
The Island style comes natural as Bob was born in Jamaica. He taught himself to play guitar in the 6th grade and started leading camp and church song activities. He performed smooth jazz in public and started singing Calypso and island music in the 90s. “I became Jamaica Bob, performing ‘Calypso for Kids’ as an amusing musical tour of the Caribbean. I’ve been playing this music at family shows and for kids for 30 years.”
Bob ran track, played flag football and basketball in high school and played volleyball and basketball at La Sierra University. He came back to play roundball in an over 40’s league and learned about Senior Games. “In 2008 I was watching Olympics and recalled a friend had mentioned there were sports for seniors. I found a track club in the area and got started. It was just a cool idea to compete against people my age.”
“I wanted to see how I would do now as an athlete,” he continues. “Kind of a reality check – was I really a good athlete or was I just from a school so small a turtle would be the fastest runner? I also didn’t realize how out of shape I really was. I had gotten a little fluffy.”
The runner has earned medals in California and Arizona but has yet to earn a podium place at Nat
ional Senior Games. A near-tragic car accident last year set him back but Bob was just happy to be in Fort Lauderdale and able to run. His goals are built around self-improvement. “There are two benchmarks for me. First, I’d like to perform at an All-American level. Meeting that standard says something about your ability even if you don’t win the race. Secondly, I’d like to get into the sprint finals at Nationals.”
Jamaica Bob also makes the most of his trips to compete. “Some athletes don’t spend their energy going out and stay close to hotel to chill and think about their races,” he says. “I like being competitive, but I go to have fun too.”
He also links his music and athletics. “There is a therapeutic value of music to overall well-being,” he explains. “It helps me to be relaxed and ready to take on training and competition.”
On reflection, Bob appreciates that his performance was for a unique audience of all athletes. “That was a cool deal. As an athlete I’m just one among many and I wasn’t very competitive this year after the accident. Regardless of what place we come in we are all athletes, and we’ve all come a long way. That made singing at the celebration a special experience.”
