SANDY POINT, St. Kitts (29th March 2017) – The recently held Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Channel Swim was great and it exceeded all my expectations. The annual event had attracted over 200 participants from around the world, including a number of swimmers who flew into the Federation just the night before the Sunday, March 26 competition.
The 2.5-mile swim started at 8:00 a.m. from the Oualie Beach in Nevis and ended at the Cockleshell Beach in St. Kitts, where the crowd gave all the swimmers a warm welcome.
What amazed me was that celebrity swimmers such as David Carry and Karlyn Pipes had participated in the swim. Who would have thought that small St. Kitts and Nevis would be visited by Olympians to compete in one of our sports events.
At the finish line, every participant was awarded a sea turtle metal regardless of how long it had taken them to complete the swim, and everyone interviewed said they would definitely return to participate in next year’s swim.
Celebrity swimmer Ashley Whitney of the USA was the first person to cross the finish line in the female’s 30-36 category and also the first to finish overall. During an interview with the 36-year-old, Whitney said the swim was challenging but fun. She stated that it was her first visit to the Federation while declaring that both islands “are gorgeous” and that she saw lots of wild life during her swim across the Narrows.
The event was partnered with Special Olympics St. Kitts and Nevis to host the first ever open water unified relay team crossing, in which each team member was required to swim 1km. It was also organised to raise funds for Special Olympics St. Kitts-Nevis.
Mr. Winston Crooke was the coordinator of the 16th Annual Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Channel Swim and among the sponsors were Bike Nevis, Four Seasons Resort, Sponge, Ross University, Mr. X’s Shiggidy Shack Bar and Grill and the Spice Mill.
The event was a successful one, and if you had missed it be sure not to in 2018 as it is said that each year is better than the previous.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ms. Alanni Polanco is a Fourth Form student at the Charles E. Mills Secondary in Sandy Point and a member of the Mus Tri (Master-Ur-Skills Triathlon) media team. The article was written as an assignment for a recent Workshop conducted by Open Interactive Inc. and SKNVibes for a five-member group from that educational institution.
