THE real life 1988 Jamaican bobsled team dreaded the release of hit film Cool Runnings, because of fears they'd be portrayed smoking weed.
Devon Harris, a star of that iconic team, admits that there were nerves rather than feelings of excitement as he and his bobsleigh pals sat down to watch the movie.
The 57-year-old reveals they were forced to battle stereotypes since the team began, because of assumptions that 'all Jamaicans smoke weed' – despite the fact that no members of their team did.
Speaking to Betway, bobsleigh hero Harris said: "I remember having a conversation right after the viewing with my team-mates.
"We held our collective breaths, and then we collectively exhaled, because there was no portrayal of smoking weed in the movie.
"That's a stereotype that we have been fighting ever since the team got started because everybody assumed that all Jamaicans smoke weed, and we don't.
"Then, we were just inspired. Cool Runnings is the kind of movie I would enjoy even if it wasn’t about a significant part of my life.
"I really loved it and still love the human-interest story and powerful life lessons."
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3Cool Runnings was released in 1993 and was a box office hit – making around £115million from a budget of just £12m.
On his Winter Olympics experience, having also competed in 1992 and 1998 after his initial 1988 run, Harris gushed: "You're young and single and disengaged, so it's an adventure man!
“I often say that I saw bobsledding as an extension of my commitment to being a soldier and representing my country. We did whatever was needed to be done.
“We approached it almost like a military commitment. Nothing is too hard, nothing is too difficult, we're going to get it done."
Harris also revealed how bobsledding helped him face his fears – while describing the Olympic experience as 'Utopia'.
The Olympic experience, man, I describe it as Utopia
He added: "My favourite thing about the bobsled experience was driving and perhaps the thing that that covers all of that is just facing my fear of dealing with it, and coming out on top. I'm still here.
"The Olympic experience, man, I describe it as Utopia.
"It's spending 16 days in this place with people from all over the world, people who under normal circumstances you would never meet.
"Having all the troubles and ills that exists in the world, just being shielded from it, and just having a chance in that moment in those 16 days to connect with the humanity of people from all over the world and realise, you know what, the differences that define us are insignificant, compared to all the things that are that bind us."
Jamaica have qualified for the bobsleigh for the first time in 24 years in Beijing and will get their campaign underway on Saturday.
On his country's current crop, Harris beamed: "I'm over the moon about the fact that Jamaica has qualified, I'm really proud of the guys.
"It's just amazing that they are continuing the legacy. It's going to be awesome to see the black, green and gold in Beijing.
"It's always difficult to say how they're going to do, what I know is that they're going to work hard and they're going to compete hard."
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