made it clear to his doubters that he intends to make the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta his final leap to glory.

Saunders, who turns 30 next month, has just recently returned from a nine-month stay in Australia where he underwent surgery on both his knees.

The problem was tendinitis, or "jumpers' knees'', which is caused by over-use.

And although his first taste of competition since the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona will not come until the new year, Saunders has his sights firmly set on being in Victoria, British Columbia, next summer to defend his high jump title in the Commonwealth Games.

Saunders heard people questioning his inclusion in the last Olympic team, saying he is over the hill and should be retiring, but that has made him all the more determined to prove he still has some good jumps left.

"Next year the Commonwealth Games are going to be the hardest competition I've ever had to face coming from surgery,'' Saunders said yesterday.

"There is some apprehension with me. The knees will tell me, I can't tell them. That's why I have to turn over every stone to see that I get back. I absolutely refuse to do and be what other people want me to.'' Other people's interpretation of an athlete's life was made very clear to Saunders the same day he returned from Australia and went to a Bermuda Track and Field Association awards ceremony to be honoured for his 1990 Commonwealth Games record jump, which had finally been ratified.

Speaker David Saul, a noted track enthusiast, referred to an athlete's career as a "fleeting moment'' and that athletes should enjoy their careers while they last.

Saunders said his response upon receiving the award was not directed at Saul, but a message to aspiring athletes.

"The way I was feeling, those words stuck in my mind,'' he said. "Those are not fleeting moments but moments that last.

"In terms of where my career's gone I have no regrets. I wouldn't trade it in for the world.

"The next Olympics, if I make it to the stage where I want to be, is just for me. Whether I'm successful or not, I want to make sure I have a good time.'' Saunders left for Australia last year with a bitter taste in his mouth after failing to receive support from Government when he tried to get a medical visa to visit the country for an extended period.

"When I was in New York I tried to get some assistance from Government. Not monetary assistance, but a letter sent to the immigration department to verify who he (Saunders) was and that he was travelling for medical reasons.

"If it had the Government stamp and seal on it then it holds creditability to the character of the person.

"Government said they couldn't give me financial backing but I didn't need that, all I needed was a letter. I had the money to pay for my medical expenses.'' The administrative backing never came and Saunders realised how quickly a person can be a hero one moment and forgotten the next.

He produced the examples of people like former Miss World Gina Swainson and boxers Clarence Hill and Troy Darrell to make the point.

"You should not abandon people who have done what they consider good things for their country,'' Saunders added. "I heard how I helped put Bermuda on the map, but what happened when I needed help? At times we all need help.'' Much of the support Saunders received came from the BTFA, in particular coach Gerry Swan and athletes Eddie and Jennifer Fisher.

Saunders does not know where the support will come from when he prepares to return to international competition next year.

His four-year sponsorship deal with Belco ended after the Olympics as did a two-year deal with John Barrit and Sons.

"In terms of sponsorship I know some people see me as a liability because of my knees and that they can't get their full advertising mileage,'' he said.

"John Barrit came on in the last two years when things were not very good and that showed they cared about me, the image I was portraying and the future of Bermuda. They are community-minded and I appreciate that in a company.

"Without Belco it would have taken me a lot longer to achieve my goals. That financial assistance helped me open a lot of doors.'' For an athlete who holds the Commonwealth Games record (7'9'') and has regularly been ranked as one of the top jumpers in the world, Saunders is disappointed that Government did not capitalise on his marketability like some of the other countries have done with their star athletes.

"The Bahamas does it, their world-class athletes work in the department of Tourism,'' Saunders explained.

It was an idea he took to tourism officials here, including Premier John Swan.

"I had meetings with the Premier saying that as a frequent world traveller and ambassador for Bermuda, is there a possibility I could be used in any capacity by the Department of Tourism? "I went into the office of Gary Phillips and he said, `What can you do for us?''' Saunders' travels have taken him to places like Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, France, Holland, Germany, Korea, Japan, Canada and all over the United States.

And the way he is talking there is still some more travelling to be done before he hangs up his spikes after 1996 and settles down.

"I still think there is a lot left in me.'' NICKY SAUNDERS -- Out to prove the doubters wrong.