Jamal, being Jamaican, has green, gold, and black tape on his stick. Naturally. It's not just a reminder of home, or representation of his pride in his heritage, though. The tape has the same three messages scribbled on it that he received from the most important influences on his career. The first, from Uncle Mo, just says "fall seven times, stand up eight" -- a reminder that you can never give up. The second is from Aunt Lucy, "yuh cyaa wuk pon ice if yuh nuh av fiyah inna yuh heart" -- for those who don't speak Jamaican Patois, that's "you can't work on ice if you don't have fire in your heart"; she herself was a bobsledder, and her words remind Jamal that his chosen career is unconventional, and so he has to really have a passion for it, has to really commit to it.

The final message is from his mother, a simple "mash it up". You see, "good luck" is both too bland and too false for a Jamaican mother. Is it really luck, when your son, who you raised to work hard and give everything his all, achieves his dreams? Of course not! You raised that boy to make waves. You raised that boy to make an impact. You raised him to, as it were, "mash it up". Empty words like "good luck", "do your best", and "have a good game" are for unseasoned foreigners. You and your boy are Jamaican. Make sure everyone else knows it.