On September 10, the City of Mount Vernon honored Olympian Rai Benjamin with a parade through the City and a cermony at City Hall where Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard gave him a Key to the City. Benjaimin won the Silver Medal in the 400 Meter Hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.
Benjamin broke the world record in the race, but fell one second short to Norway’s Karsten Warholm, who also broke the record and won gold. It was one of the greatest track events in Olympic history, and a “race for the ages.” Benjamin correctly called his Olympic race, “the best race in Olympic history. I was happy to be a part of history.” He also won a Gold Medal as part of the USA’s 4 X 400 relay team.
Benjamin attends USC and trains out in California, but he returned to his home city of Mt. Vernon to spend time with his family and accept the honor. One day, King Ben as he is being called by many, “Walked into the deli I used to go most mornings in HS wearing my Olympic team shirt. Two guys asked if I watched the guy from Mt. Vernon who was at the Olympics. Their reaction was priceless when I told them I was that guy,” tweeted Benjamin.
Rai thanked his mom, Jeanette Mason, for always being supportive of him and for always pushing him to be his best. At first during high school, Rai thought that Football would be his sport, but after one year his coaches, Marcus Green and Ric Wright, recommended he focus on Track and Field.
Many believe that if Benjamin had chosen football he would be in the NFL today. “He was so good he never came back to football, and it became pretty obvious he was a special kid,” Wright said.
More than 200 friends, family and supporters gathered at City Hall to pay tribute to Benjamin and his hard work. He is a 2015 graduate of Mt. Vernon High School. Benjamin’s motorcade drove by all of the schools in the Mt. Vernon school district, giving young students a chance to see him and realize what he has done, and perhaps the successes that they can achieve in their lives.
Mt. Vernon Recreation Commissioner Sylvia Gadsen, called Benjamin an “old soul,” for his work ethic and his decision to stay at MV High School instead of transfering to a private school. “There’s a beauty and purity to him. It really touches my heart. He represents hope. He triumphed over circumstances. And this is only the beginning for him.”
At 24 years old, Benjamin has a bright future ahead of him, and he is expected to train for and attend the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard called Benjamin “an incredible role model, and his “distinguished, dignified, dedicated and determined work ethich make him an incredible ambassador for our city.”
Like most Olympians, Benjamin said that “Without my mom, I don’t know how I’d do it.” After his 400 Meter Hurdle race, Benjamin thought that he had let Mt. Vernon down by only getting the Silver Medal. But after seeing hundreds of his fellow residents cheering him on, Benjamin now knows that he has the entire city behind him as he begins his quest for Gold.
And if you haven’t watched Benjamin’s Olympic 400 Hurdle race, check it out on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qFJuTpqBLM
