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Lenox Oliver Shuffler is a ‘Special Person’“I’ve always felt that we’ve been given two eyes to see the good and the bad sides of life.” By Rawle WelchHe regards himself as someone who is always thinking about the positive sides of life, and constantly looking for ways to help develop less fortunate people, whether through corporate connections or personal interventions, so it would seem difficult to believe that his seven-decade journey started in Albouystown, an area referred to by many, including its residents, as the ghetto.His name is Lenox Oliver “Lenny” Shuffler. He was born on February 5, 1939, to Gary and Kathleen Shuffler, in the county of Berbice, and during his remarkable life he has developed into an esteemed sportsman, administrator and advocate for peace and unity.Lenox Oliver ShufflerIt is this thirst for effecting change in the lives of those who require such help that has been recognised by many local and international organisations that have bestowed upon him numerous awards for his selfless commitment and dedication towards the development of sports and the general enrichment of people’s livesThe accolades include two Paul Harris awards from the Rotary Club for the promotion of ‘Peace and Unity’; the Guyana Olympic Association award as the ‘Male Sports Personality’; International Olympic Committee award for the promotion of ‘Sport and Promotion of Olympism’ through his Sports Education and Culture Train Concept for the advancement of Peace and Unity, among others.Shuffler, whose father was a Policeman, moved to Albouystown in Georgetown at the tender age of two, and this was where his formative years were spent, during a period he described as integral in shaping his life.“As the son of a Policeman, my life was influenced by the many areas where my father was posted because it gave me the opportunity to see how diverse each environment was and the different challenges one had to face daily to survive,” Shuffler recalled.He disclosed that even though most of his junior years were spent in Albouystown, the family also lived at Victoria on the East Coast of Demerara and Linden as well and according to him every time they moved, the experience was totally different and adjustments had to be made.“For instance, at Victoria and Linden, those two communities were a bit more laid back and much quieter, while Albouystown where I lived until my early twenties presented a different test, and even though I did not resent the community, the difficult economic circumstances that those citizens faced in most cases meant that the battle for survival was central in determining their life paths,” Shuffler stated.Lenny Shuffler, as President of the Volleyball Federation, presenting a quantity of balls in Berbice, as part of the British High Commission-sponsored Sports Education and Culture Train Programme, in 2006.“My parents were the best in the world and it was not that good people did not exist in Albouystown, but you were repeatedly called upon to react to any circumstance…if you troubled me I could have responded with expletives or physically, it was just a case of the survival of the fittest,” Shuffler reflected.He said those years helped him understand people better,LeGarrette Blount Patriots Jersey, referring to that period as one of the most crucial in his lifetime, a challenging era that forced him to make strong decisions.Shuffler, whose contribution to sports and human development is exemplary, revealed that his initial involvement in sports came on the cricket field.“Cricket was my first love, I played for a club by the name of Renown and some of my team-mates at that time were the Pertab brothers, Eddie Mohamed, Vibart Pariag and Albert Choy,San Francisco Giants Deion Sanders Jersey, and they were all outstanding cricketers.”Reminiscing on that period,Miiko Albornoz Chile Jersey, Shuffler, who attended Broad Street Government School and then Central High said that they honed their skills on the Greens, but had to regularly be on the lookout for the Police who discouraged playing cricket on the Greens.“The Police would sometimes raid you as far as under your bed. Those were the days when every young boy had to be a very good athlete to run from them, before being caught,” he said with a smile.However, according to Shuffler, the organisation that perhaps made the most impact in his life was the Georgetown Sea Scouts. He said it was there that he was able to transform his energies into positive things.“At the age of 13, I joined the Scouts, and it was there that I learned how to send and read morse codes and also had my introduction to the sport of volleyball,” he revealed.Having moved up the ranks to become a Queen Scout, which was the Highest Award given at the time, Shuffler said that his leadership qualities was perfected right there and regarded that as a decisive part of his life because as he put it, at a young age you were required to make serious decisions.When he had attained the age of 15, Shuffler said that his father took him to play for the British Guiana Cricket Club where he played two Wight Cup matches, compiling scores of 44 and 103 which immediately won him a place in the Case Cup team.That team was captained by former West Indies great Clyde Walcott and included such stalwarts as Charlie Stayers, Ian Jordan and ‘Baby Boy’ McWatt.“During that competition I was voted the Most Promising Junior Player and was presented with a bat,” Shuffler said.Team captain Lenox Shuffler (left) introduces Governor of British Guiana Sir Richard Luyt to members of the national squad shortly before their encounter against Trinidad and Tobago in the 1964 Caribbean Championship for the Lighthouse Trophy at Queen’s College. According to him, his cricket career was short-lived when his first working opportunity presented itself. He was 16, and had been offered a job as a Signals Clerk with International Air Radio at Atkinson Airfield even before he had finished writing the College of Preceptors Exams in 1955.“I had to decide whether to eat or play so I opted for the former, in those days it was difficult to do both since one had to attend net practice at least three days per week and then the match at the weekend.”Having had no prior knowledge of answering phones, Shuffler said he struggled at first, and would even be chased off the phone by fellow workmates, but thanks to a man by the name of Jerry Gouveia, who took the time to teach him the job, he eventually improved and was able to become a Radio Operator after 11 years, another testimony to his commitment and determination to succeed in life.“When the use of morse code was becoming obsolete due to the advancement in technology, I was required to make another tough career decision where my next stop would be in the Insurance Sales industry,Eugenio Mena Chile Jersey, in 1963, joining forces with my brother Leroy, who was working with Ronald Kam’s Agency.”It did not take the siblings long to establish themselves among the top agents in the industry and Leroy had become an Agency Manager, while Lenox worked as an Agent.“I then worked my way up to Agency Manager when my brother migrated to the United States of America, and at one time I managed 42 agents with 5 Unit Managers, and the Agency was considered one of the leading organisations in the Caribbean.I always had a creative mind and the systems I introduced into the arena were tremendous, it showed my strong ability to impart knowledge and that was perhaps mainly responsible for my success.”By this time, Shuffler had accumulated all the major accolades and had already met and married his queen, Lucy, a Trinidadian,Wilson Ramos Nationals Jersey, in 1965. Their union bore four children – Alana, Denise, Dwayne and Kathy.According to him, Lucy herself was avidly involved in sports, having played as a left winger on the T&T national hockey team. Her sterling performances earned her All-Star selections. She also played Squash as a veteran.Lenny Shuffler has since left a trail of high achievers in sports and his record speaks for itself. The achievements of his offspring and grandchildren are extremely impressive.His daughters Denise and Kathy were both champions either at the local and regional levels, while his grandchildren Kristina, Andrea, Daina, Kristian, Kimberley,Lawrence Timmons Steelers Jersey UK, Keisha and Kayla have all played for the national team and even went on to become Caribbean champions as well.Returning to his career in sports, Shuffler spoke of his dedication, giving as an example the long hours he would play volleyball by himself whilst up at Timehri.“Just to perfect the art of serving I would serve for many hours and walk across the field to retrieve the ball all by myself, it was a demonstration of how determined I was to become a good player.”In 1958, Shuffler became the youngest member of the first ever British Guiana squad that toured Trinidad and Tobago.He went on to become Captain of the national team that participated in the Caribbean Tournament, which they won.According to the Skipper, it was through sheer grit that they prevailed, they had to come from two sets down to beat the Jamaicans at home in a remarkable contest to successfully defend their title.Shuffler remained the national Captain for the next sixteen years, making him the longest serving Captain, having won the Caribbean title both at home and abroad. His record of being the most successful leader that this country has ever produced is still intact.Lenny’s career spanned almost twenty years at the national level, playing in the Caribbean and South American zones, including competing against teams from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela,Nicklas Barkroth Sweden Jersey, Aruba, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Bahamas and China.He even earned the nickname ‘Mr. Cool’ on the international circuit for his ability to remain calm in tense situations, a sobriquet, he has retained unto today.As an Administrator, Shuffler has represented Guyana at many international volleyball fora in Argentina, Brazil,wholesale nfl jerseys, Venezuela, Portugal and Spain and has presented a paper on the creation of ‘Fun Volleyball’ which was well received by the World Federation.Shuffler has also argued at the international level for the formation of the ‘Bloc Development Plan’ which was essentially created to assist lesser ranked countries such as Guyana and Suriname develop the sport by playing against top nations, the likes of Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela. It was subsequently adopted by the International Body.The quiet spoken Shuffler has also worked in the development of sport in some of the most unpredictable areas in the country, but opines that his most impressive work was done in the Buxton community where his presence in helping to improve the lives of the youths in the village took nearly seven months to be approved.“It (promoting sport in Buxton) was one of those projects that I knew I could not give up on because of a few individuals. It was a tense situation at the time, but I believed the need to redirect the lives of many of those young children was something that I really wanted to do and even though many of my friends and family questioned my wisdom, they could not see the bigger picture at the time,” Shuffler reflected.He disclosed that many of the youths who were heading in the wrong direction have now regained their childhood identity and the mere thought that that could have been achieved is a development he indicated he will always cherish.Another very impacting moment in his involvement in sports occurred when the national team toured Suriname.“A strange thing happened during that tour, I received a sportsmanship award, but it did not come from the organisers, but instead from the fans and that really shocked me at the time,” he reflected.“It floored me because it was given to me for conceding a point which most of my team-mates felt that we had won, but after consultation with the umpire I decided not to challenge for the point and perhaps my magnanimity was what caught the eyes of the fans,” Shuffler said.Asked what he feels is his biggest contribution to sports,Neil Walker Mets Jersey, Shuffler said proudly that having seven of his grandchildren playing on the same national team together and winning the Caribbean championships must stand out above all.Lenny sees sports as the vehicle for integration in Guyana, and because of this view, he has been able to create a concept to develop ‘Peace and Unity’ through the sports and culture train.Shuffler added that the train is about positive change and is powered by love, faith and forgiveness.“I’ve always felt that we’ve been given two eyes to see the good and the bad sides of life.”