Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697646726695.pdf (Bahamas)
Leonard John “Skeeter” Dames Member of the National Hall of Fame Class of 2010 Leonard “Skeeter” Dames possessed all the attributes of a superior man, described by Confucious as one easy to serve but difficult to please, just the opposite of an inferior man, one difficult to serve but easy to please.
Evidence of such elevated status was the high expectations he held for himself and those associated with him, particularly in the discipline of track and field, a sport in which he excelled, to the extent that his was the lot to co-author the seminal endeavour of this country into the arena of major international sport.
Dames began his auspicious career while at Smith School, now C.R.Walker winning the 220 yards in 24.4, in the process beating into second and third place respectively, eventually Prime Minister, Lynden Oscar Pindling and James Fernander.

As a result of such a performance and those that immediately followed, he earned the sobriquet, “Mosquito”, subsequently abbreviated to “skeeter” by his wide array of admires so impressed by his speed and style.
When he matriculated to Southern Primary School now Stephen Dil- let, his duels with “Pindling continued with the 100 yards with Pindling defeating him in 1948, the only occasion when such a feat was accomplished.
Dames expanded his career at the post school level competing for the Southern Athletic Club, these he joined such lengendaries as Pindling, Cyril “Peepsight” Johnson, Walter Taylor, Harcourt Bastian, Dennis Fernander, Sidney Wilson who was to become a cob- bler of finest repute, and Harold Munnings, eventual Permanent Secretary.

Such a prolific group of sprinters dominated their events in the early 1950’s.

So much that the Southern Athletic Club won championships after championship at the District level.
At the Columbus Day meet in 1953 for instance the Club accumulated thirty-three (33) points to outshine the Vikings (31) and St. George’s (28).

Dames reserved his finest hour on local soil for that meet in 1953 to which was invited top Jamaican sprinter, Keith Gardner who went on to distinguish himself internationally.

In Skeeter premier event, Gardner held off a fast closing Dames to win the event in 9.6 seconds.
Dames continued his dominance in the 220 yards, winning that event in 23.3 seconds to defeat Bernice Bunny Albury and Irrington Rinky Issacs.

Dames earned the right to be named to this country’s first national track and field team, selected to represented The Bahamas at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, in British Columbia in the province of Vancouver, Canada.
In preparation for that competition, he received formal coaching for the first time at the hands of Joe Yancy, American Coach of the Pioneers Track Club in New York, and Charlie Major Sr. who had recently returned home from his world record high jumping days at St. Bonaven- ture University.

As a result of the result of the advanced training afforded by Yancy and Major Sr.; Dames was among a four member team that was selected to represent The Bahamas at the Games in Vancouver.
He was joined by sprinter Rinky Isaacs, middle distance winner Peepsight Johnson and Team Manager, Cyril Richardson.

At the Games, Dames recorded his personal best in both short sprints but did not advance to the finals in either.

A year later, in 1955 he gave a young, and lauding Tommy Robinson his only defeat on Baha- mian soil, relegating him to second place in the 100 yards, with Cyril Paul finishing in third place.
Leonard Skeeter Dames distinguished himself as a superior man, easy to serve and difficult to please, because he possessed high ideals and even greater expectations for himself, attributes so typical of all legendary figures in Bahamian Sports.