Football Teams Cook Up Success
[Written by Stephen Wright]
The Bermuda men’s and women’s football teams cooked up golden success at the International Island Games in Orkney, Scotland – and they had a secret ingredient.
No, it was not a new tactical formation or high-tech performance drink. It was scrambled eggs – lots of them.
Inside the Kirkwall Grammar School dormitories, one major issue bubbled to the surface early in the tournament: protein, or rather, the lack of it.
The canteen menu was hearty in carbs but worryingly light on the muscle-fuelling nutrients needed to keep athletes at their best.
Enter Juanita Blee, the Bermuda Island Games Association [BIGA] secretary general – and, for one unforgettable week for the young footballers, the unofficial team chef.
Each morning, while most of Orkney was still asleep, Blee was up at 5am, whipping up trays of scrambled eggs with precision and purpose.
Once cooked, she would carefully transport them to the dormitories, like a courier of culinary morale.
It worked. The men’s under-23 team cracked Ynys Môn 3-1 in the final, while the women scrambled their way to victory over the Isle of Man, triumphing 4-2 on penalties in a nail-biting finish.
While the players celebrated on the field, BIGA chairman Jon Beard made sure Blee’s early-morning heroics did not go unnoticed.
“A particular thank you to general secretary, Juanita Blee, for the incredible work she put in to make the administration as smooth as possible – this included getting up at 5am every morning to make scrambled eggs for the football teams as their accommodation could not provide enough protein for the players,” Beard said.
“That most definitely embodies the spirit of our team and community.”
Indeed, in a competition full of grit, determination, and dramatic goals, it turns out that among the crucial assists came from Blee’s frying pan.
