SPORTS

The Cayman Islands’ Swimming Legacy

Friday, August 20, 2004

Outstanding skill on the sea has been synonymous with the Cayman Islands for decades. For three small islands with few natural resources and a small but resilient population, the Caribbean waters naturally became a vital source of life – and enjoyment.

But how can our local swimmers stack up against the Olympic-class swimmers? For instance, look at Ian ‘Thorpedo’ Thorpe the Australian wonder-boy. Standing (or swimming) at six-foot five inches, and with size 17 feet, he qualified for the Olympics at the age of 14, and since won three gold medals in the Olympics, 11 World Championship gold medals and ten Commonwealth titles.

He’s also the world record holder in the 200-metre, 400-metre and 800-metre freestyle swimming. So what can our Cayman team, and their little 25-metre Lions pool offer to compete against monster athletes like these?

Some would say that it goes back the spirit of the Caymanian. The ability to swim well helped to form Cayman’s reputation as a place that produced natural captains and sailors of excellent repute, in addition to other technical and intuitive skills such as forecasting weather and navigating by dead reckoning, hinged on their abilities on the water.

By default, swimming was the Cayman Islands’ first unofficial sport, and also the foundation of life and livelihood in these Islands. As far back as 1935, when the annual Easter Regatta was introduced, swimming competitions were a key attraction; they were part of a line-up that included sailing races of locally built sloops, schooners and catboats and model ships, as well as rowing events.

Later, swimming was incorporated as a key event during Pirates Week. Additionally, the establishment of the Cayman Islands Swimming Association in 1985, with the encouragement of the Athletic Association fostered increased participation, enjoyment and competition in the sport. Today, three Caymanians – Andrew Mackay, Heather Roffey and Shaune Fraser - prepare to compete in the 2004 Olympics this August 13-29.

And as swimming has grown internationally so has its the history of excellence grown in local and regional competitions. These modern accomplishments are the results of a concerted effort by the swimming aficionados in the community. The formal swimming programme began in earnest when the Lions Club built the 25-metre pool on government property in 1986, and thereafter government assumed responsibility for its operation and staffing.

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