By BARBARA WALKIN

Senior FN Reporter

barbara@nasguard.com

During a recent visit to Grand Bahama with Team Bahamas celebrating their victories and accomplishments for the 2006-2007 track season, 'Golden Girl' Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie revealed that she will officially retire as a professional track and field athlete, and will concentrate on family life and a normal career.

Ferguson-McKenzie said after the trials and tribulations of the 2007 season, she believes it will make any success she has in 2008 "that much sweeter."

"The 2008 Olympic Games will be my last Olympics, and just like everyone else I want to go out with a bang," said the female sprinter.

"I'm so excited about next year, I'm ready to start training right now but my coach says take it easy for the next few weeks, because it's not time yet."

Although the 2008 Olympics will be her last, Ferguson-McKenzie says her final major Meet will be the IAAF World Championships in 2009.

"I think my final few years will be special," she said. "My role model is Pauline Davis-Thompson and she ended with a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, now possibly a gold medal after the Marion Jones' confession, and hopefully I can walk in her footsteps."

Ferguson-McKenzie admitted that this season definitely started off rough, "then I came home for the Nationals and my blocks slipped in the 100m, but then I went over to Europe and things got a bit better and I ran 11.12 in the 100m and 22.72 in the 200m in my first Meet, followed by an 11.5 and a 22.46 in the second Meet, but unfortunately, I came down with the chicken pox of all things," she said.

The chicken pox prevented Ferguson-McKenzie from competing at the Rio Pan American Games.

"That was mind blowing for me because normally an athlete would get injuries like hamstring pulls or muscle strains but chicken pox, and it hurt me really bad to sit out the entire month of July without training," said Ferguson-McKenzie.

She said whatever reason it happened she believes it has only made her stronger.

"I was disappointed but now I am over it and I really tried to focus on competing well in Osaka but it didn't work out, you can't take a whole month off from training before a major championship," she explained.

"After coming back from Osaka and competing I just felt tired of just running, but I finally got it together in the 200m at the Grand Prix Finale in Germany where I took second over a lot of competitors that made it to the finals in Osaka."

With the second place finish Ferguson-McKenzie earned $20,000. Muriel Hurtis-Houairi of France won the race in 22.73.

As far as Team Bahamas goes she said, she is "proud of them" especially Donald, Derrick and the men's 4x400m relay team because there was "something special."

"I hope the young people in The Bahamas can see that and realize that they have no excuse because they have role models right here to emulate as far as being outstanding citizens, because its not just about being a good athlete," said Ferguson-McKenzie.