SANDY POINT, St. Kitts (29th March 2017) - Successful, competitive and adventurous are but a few words to describe the 16th Annual Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Chanel Swim on Sunday, March 26, 2017. The distance of the swim was 2.5 miles (4 km) and it started from the Oualie Beach on Nevis and finished at the Cockleshell Beach on St. Kitts.
Participating in the event, which is also known as the Bente Weber Memorial Swim, were celebrity swimmers Karlyn Pipes, Keri-Anne Payne, David Carry and Ashley Whitney.
Karlyn had broken FINA Masters world records in all four strokes, the medley and in every distance, as well as being the holder of three individual national titles (100 and 200 backstroke, and the 400 medley). She also set an NCAA Division record in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:00.54.
Keri-Anne is a three-time Olympian and was twice crowned World Champion in the 10 km Open Water Swimming event; while David won two gold medals in the 400m free style and 400m individual medley in 2006; and Ashley had earned a gold medal when she swam in one of the preliminary heats for the winning US team in the women's 4×200m freestyle relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
There were about 200 participants or more in this event from the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Brazil, BVI, Netherlands Antilles, Peru, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Antigua, Trinidad and Tobago and host country St. Kitts and Nevis. A number of Special Olympics swimmers from St. Kitts and Nevis also participated in the event.
Winning the Cross Chanel Swim with a time of 55:28 minutes was the strong and determined 36-year-old American athlete, Ashley Whitney, who was followed by 49-year-old Gregory Whte of Great Britain.
The third spot was captured by three-time Olympian Keri-Anne Payne of UK. The 29-year-of clocked a time of 56:17 minutes.
Sponsors of the 16th Annual Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Chanel Swim were Four Seasons Resort, Nevis West Indies; Ross University; Nevis Spring Water; Mount Nevis Hotel; Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack; Oualie Beach Resort; Finis; Bike Nevis; Blue Water Safaris; Tritheworld.com; Reggae Beach Bar and Grill; and Sponge.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ms. Shanella Samuel 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 and SKNVibes for a five-member group from that educational institution.
