MARTINIQUE--Twenty-nine swimmers from the Friendly Island competed in the 31st annual Carifta Games Swimming Championships, held March 21-26 in Martinique at the Centre Aquatique Communautaire in Le Lamentin.
The group age 11 to 17 did not win any medals or ribbons in their first appearance at Carifta but did compete in 147 individual races and 4 relay events to achieve 120 personal best times.
The games featured 600 athletes from 21 different federations across the Caribbean. Swimmers from both sides of the island, representing St. Maarten Aquatic Federation (20 athletes) and St. Martin Natation (9 athletes) competed for the first time in this event.
Athletes came together from three different club teams on the island – Sharks Swim Team, Super Splash Swim Team and Carib Swim Team – to form the Dutch side team and the French side team.
The Dutch side team, swimming under the banner of St. Maarten Aquatics Federation, was comprised of 20 athletes: Quinton Cornelius and Sharmar Thomas (Sharks), Sarah Courtar, Kiemoy Flemming, Keanu Jacobs Guishard, Justin Williams, S’Ade Williams and Gabriel de Vries (Super Splash), Paul ten Broecke, Abbi Illis, Taffi Illis, Sahil Khatnani, Johanna Looser, Emma Marshall, Lynn Martina, Devesh Mirpuri, Iris van den Oever, Rashad Peterson, Reynaldo Richards and Micah Sinke (Carib Swim Team).
The athletes were accompanied by Delegation Leader Nicole Maccow, Head Coach Burton Theodora and assistant coaches Megan Pittman and Robbert Schrijvers.
The French side team, swimming with special permission granted by the Federation Française de Natation to represent St. Martin, was comprised of 9 athletes: Chloe Boecasse, Chelsea Boudine, Grace Cheasley, Abiola Dessout, Naima Dessout, Freya Knaggs, Allison Mocellin, Ben Pocovi, and Nahel Ramanaidou (Carib Swim Team).
The athletes were accompanied by Head Coach Megan Pittman and team managers Nisha Khatnani, Divina Mirpuri, Adele Mocellin and Philomena Richards.
Six swimmers, Naima Dessout, Taffi Illis, Freya Knaggs, Johanna Loosers, Allison Mocellin and Rashad Peterson, competed in the 5 kilometre open water race, all finishing the longest open water swim in which any of them had previously competed.
Devesh Mirpuri, swimming in the 11-12 boys age group, had this to say about his experience: “Carifta was tough and the competition was intense, but at least now I know what is out there and I need to train much more. It was a great experience and I am happy to have represented St. Maarten.”
Coach Megan Pittman observed, “The exposure the swimmers gained from this experience is the first step in taking swimming on this island to the next level. To be surrounded by great swimmers from across the Caribbean – swimmers who are fast, committed and excelling at the highest levels – shows our swimmers that they are capable of more and inspires them to re-dedicate themselves to training and racing with newfound passion.”
Over the past several weeks, swimmers, coaches and parents engaged in a variety of fundraising activities to offset the cost of the trip for the athletes. As such, St. Maarten Aquatic Federation and St. Martin Natation extend their sincere gratitude to the government institutions, private businesses and individual persons who granted financial assistance towards the trip.
The 2017 Carifta Games Swimming Championships will take place next spring in the Bahamas.
