One of the outstanding Saint Lucian athletes of the 1970s died this week at the age of 71.
Marius ‘Heligar’ Calderon passed away on Monday evening at the Owen King EU Hospital. He is known to have had at least one daughter, a teacher.
Fortuna Belrose, former president of the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee, recalled Heligar as “one of Saint Lucia’s first track athletes to represent our nation internationally.”
He competed at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Calderon ran 50.04 to finish 37th in the 400m, and 2:01.08 for 28th in the 800m. The team of Genevieve Nestor, Heligar Calderon, John Erysthee, and Linus Ambrose ran 3:22.96 for 10th in the 4x400m.
In his late teens and early twenties, Calderon was described as a very formidable athlete, from 100m to 800m. He ran the 4x100m and 4x400m alongside the likes of Michal ‘Midget’ Pierre, Ali Black, Ovanton Lambert, Ingram Williams, Ronnie John, and Francis Francois. A member of the Cougars Track Club, he left with Erysthee and Pierre to form Burnley Striders under coach Andrew Magloire. That group also began the track and field programmes at St Joseph’s Convent and Castries Comprehensive Secondary School.
“While Helligar on the surface might not be looked upon in the likes of many prominent sportsmen, he was an integral part of sporting development in Saint Lucia during those early days, not just as a competitor but as a coach,” said Pierre. “It was a pleasure being with him, and may his life and legacy live on. I just don’t think Helligar was given the respect he deserved.”
Cuthbert ‘Twatine’ Modeste also offered his remembrance of Calderon, who he said was often at the then Victoria Park, now Mindoo Phillip Park, taking laps with the younger athletes. A familiar figure in the Marchand community, he kept himself largely to himself but was nonetheless well known to those steeped in sport.
In football, Calderon was a fearsome defender, one of the first players outside of St Mary’s College to appear for Paragons. When Paragons folded, he moved on to Olympians and then Leslie Land. Pierre noted that Calderon was “a no-nonsense defender.” The two, along with Peter Dudley and Ali Black, were lynchpins on the national rugby football team.
……Boss you gone I remember you……i was fierce back in the days you know……I use to run left Gregory and all them guys I use to run 10:9 in hundred dash which wasn’t too bad, with a good coaching Highgrade would have been a legend i would have gone to Carifta with them but St Lucia didn’t have any good sports programs back in the day and my mother wanted me to migrate to go school so that put a monkey wrench in everything
What the hell is going on men are dying so young and can’t enjoy a retirement pension George foreman died very young to
Rip my bro football in the late 80 we always aguue friendly
People are dying so young in this island
Heilgar, your chapter and book have closed comrade but your memory as a fearsome defender and track athlete will live on.
I will also, always remember you as a businessman, who brought some of the finest apparel and shoes to your customers, soft Italian leather. Top pants and shirts Rest in Peace comrade. I will definitely reminice on those days.
Rest in peace my dear friend!!!
I will always remember the good times we spent together…
Rest in perfect peace 💔😪
I first began dreaming of Saint Lucia winning an Olympic medal when the likes of Heyligar and Gene Nestor represented Saint Lucia at the Commonwealth Games. Sadly, the level of support (and commitment) required was not well understood at the time so the athletes of the day did not achieve as much as they possibly could have.
As the song goes, “Once your novelty gone…”. Heligar and many others like him went on to live “ordinary” lives after their sporting days were over and their achievements were never passed down to succeeding generations. It seems that we only dig up some distant memories when a Heyligar or Redcap passes away.
We are long overdue, as a nation, for a platform of some sort where we can record, and easily access, the history of our cultural, sporting, intellectual and other heroes.
May Heyligar’s achievements live on.
I had the opportunity to know him. May he RIP …Amen🙏🏾
We thank him for his contribution to sport in Saint Lucia and for representing us well. Sincere condolences to his family.
So if he retired to get his pension at 65 he only enjoyed a pension for 6 years and the system will enjoy all his money . Well let me make an appointment with the NIC to take my pension at 60 years because people are dying so fast and young these days…
May his soul rest in perfect peace 🙏
@ Bipolar a wise decision……….I always got my mind on my money and my money on my mind but it’s good to make profitable investments early in life from which I have learned just in case thanks to my mother, always try to enjoy your money don’t let the state enjoy it for you. I have pending social security in the States and the way things are going these days with that Orange man and his cronies dibbling and dabbling and cutting everything I am not waiting to 67 to get my full money O hell no, I email them they say i can do partial draw down at 62, and you can best believe I am taking ever cent, because tomorrow is a promise to no one look George Forman gone….. he had a home over looking Marigot.