FLORIDA--St. Marten swimmer Tatiana Illis Bell (21) and younger sister Niobi/Abbi Illis (19) are both hoping to compete Pan American Games in Chile this October and the World Championship in Qatar February 2024. Lack of funds may stifel their dreams. The pair had hope to represent the Friendly Island in Japan earlier this year but money, actually lack of it, prevented them from attending.
“I was hoping to go to Japan so that we could have another opportunity to compete on the global stage with a consistent presence, work with globally recognized sports scientists, and network with people that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to meet,” said Tatiana. The pair currently are living in Florida where they attend school. Tatiana is working on her masterers degree and Niobi just started college. Raising money there has not been easy for the pair.
“We understand that it’s not always feasible and were very upset that it didn’t go the way we were expecting, but we see it as a chance to recuperate and get ready for the next one.” Tatiana explained she tried reaching out to past sponsor and using social media. Many of the old sponsores pleadged support but the trip to Japan was very expensive. “I’ve tried social media fundraising in the past. It’s still a bit new for us to be competing on this level so we’re still workshopping which systems work best for us to fund our trips. In the end, we held out until the last minute, but we weren’t able to make it for this one.”
“We're wrapping up the summer training season. We only train once a day six days out of the week right now. We do weightlifting, yoga, pilates, and stretch sessions besides swimming at the pool.” The pair are now looking for funding for the Pan American Games and the World Championship. Anyone interested in helping can contact the St. Marten Aquatics Federation.
