Inside Guyana's Sports Industry with Olympian Chelsea Edghill
And what she's doing to change the game
Whatsup Squad,
Not only is Guyana the fastest growing economy in the world, but it was also recently recognized as the only country in the world that can feed itself.
By many measures, Guyana is in its golden era.
But when it comes to sports, there’s still plenty of room to grow.
And few people understand that better than Chelsea Edghill.
At only 27, she boasts a résumé that takes a lifetime to build.
Chelsea became Guyana’s first Olympian in the sport of table tennis, and she also served as the country’s flag bearer during the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
When she’s not competing, she serves as the CEO of EDGE Sports Management, which is pioneering the future of sports in Guyana and the Caribbean.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chelsea to learn more about her journey, her inspiration, and what’s next for EDGE Sports Management.
Watch the full interview on YouTube, or check out some highlights from our conversation below.
Were there any athletes that you looked up to and that inspired your journey?
Definitely. So there were two or three main ones that I really looked up to. In my sport, it was Michelle John.
She was once our national women's champion, in table tennis before, before I came onto the scene and started playing. And, over the years, just watching her compete and her poise in terms of how she approached matches and stuff.
It was really inspiring and I think it was a moment of respect when we would play against each other. I'm about nine or 10 and she's who she is and she wouldn't take it easy on me. So I think that was really cool. And I looked up to her for that.
And then just in general, there was Serena Williams, of course. She was so inspiring in what she did and how she dominated. I always wanted to be like her.
I wanted to be the Serena Williams of table tennis.
And then, just in general, in terms of somebody who later became my mentor, Aliann Pompey. She's a four-time Olympian in track and field for Guyana. And, just over the years, from the first time I met her until now, she's been somebody who paid a close attention to my career and offers support when needed. And, to this day, I still look up to her.
The first time I really set my sights on going to the Olympics was when I saw her compete. I think it was the Beijing Olympics. I saw her running the 400 meter.
And I was like, I want to be like her because she was wearing the Guyana uniform with the bib and everything. I wasn't any sprinter or anything like that. But I was like I want to do what she's doing.
I want to be seen the way she's been seen. So I think it was just seeing her do her thing made me want to pursue what I'm doing even harder.
Could you share more about the business you started and the efforts and impact that you're having in the country?
EDGE Sports Management was something that was a thought for many years. I didn't have the name or anything like that, but we always wanted for athletes to have the experiences that I would have when I go abroad, when I compete at world championships or Olympic Games or even Pan Am Games.
I wanted more athletes to have that experience here in Guyana. Not only to give them the experience, but also to prepare them for what's to come when they leave Guyana, when they're competing for Guyana.
It's also, for people in Guyana to take sports seriously, to see it as a profession, to see it as, an industry, not just something that's done as a pastime. I think far too long, many persons have just been thinking of it as something you do for fun when the rest of the world has moved on from that.
A big part of me starting EDGE Sports Management is so that Guyana kind of catches up with the rest of the world and to treat our athletes with the utmost respect that we deserve.
For your upcoming Edge series, you have table tennis, but that's not the only sport that you have. Why did you choose the sports that you did for this series?
So we're doing table tennis, 3x3 basketball, and criterium racing.
A big part of the strategy for EDGE Sports Management is to host events that aren't long-winded. They're short, they're scalable, and they're exciting.
The main reason to get the Guyanese public involved and interested in sports is because we've lost that sport mentality, that fan mentality of having people support sports. They find it boring or too long, not well organized.
So a big part of what we're doing in terms of raising awareness is to ensure that the events are short, they're exciting, they're entertaining. That way persons are interested and they want more. They want to see more from us. And just in general, see more from sports.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 EDGE Series is taking place from July 12–20 at major venues in Georgetown, including the National Gymnasium.
Created with a vision to elevate and empower local athletes, the EDGE Series serves as a long-overdue platform for homegrown talent to shine on home soil.
Guyana has the resources, it just needs to capitalize on the moment.
Following Chelsea’s lead would be a great first step.
Until next time ✌🏾
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