Bahamas News
TCI: Thank You Fox Foundation Bahamas – A ‘Splashtacular’ Showing from TCI Aquatics Swim Club
#TurksandCaicos, March 3, 2021 – A small swim club, with a delegation including six young athletes made strong ripples in the pool in The Bahamas and has charted a new course for Turks and Caicos competitive swimming; the Fox Foundation in Nassau, was a large part of helping it to happen.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Fox Foundation of Nassau; they put us up in comfortable accommodations and ensured our Marlins could continue their school work and remain in touch with the families back in Providenciales with Wi-Fi included for the month we were in Nassau,” said a beaming Coach Lenin Hamilton.
In the final meet of the month long escape for competitive training and CARIFTA qualifying swim meets, the four boys and two girls banked a record number of personal bests, won top performance trophies and heaped up top finishes.
“I am extremely proud of these guys and it shows that swimming in a pool and swimming against faster kids it helped everybody with time improvements.”
Coach Lenin Hamilton is driving the message that the Turks and Caicos has amazing and untapped talent in the sport of swimming; citing that the absence of a public access pool to develop young people in the sport is a missed opportunity and disservice to the youth.
The February jaunt included the coaches three children; Lenin Junior, Lenika and Lenia Hamilton; Mateo Gardiner, 13; Jayden Davis, 11 and Tajhari Williams, 13 who dominated to make CARIFTA qualifying times in five events.
“Tajhari Williams went all out crazy qualifying in five events during this swim meet. In the 50m free he qualified, in the 100m back he qualified; the 100m free he qualified; the 50m back he qualified and the 200m backstroke, he qualified for CARIFTA,” said the coach in an update.
Tajhari Williams, 13 got the high point trophy and placed first in his age group. Williams’ performance: Sixth in the 50m free; first in 100m back with PB; Fifth in the 100m free, with PB; first in 100m free, PB; second in 50m backstroke and first in 200m backstroke and PB.
Eleven-year old LJ finished second in his age group in the 9th Annual Leno Barracuda Invitational Swim Meet held February 20, 2021 at the Betty Kelly–Kenny National Swim Complex. Lenin Hamilton missed high point trophy by two points and was the runner up placing third in 50m free; first in 100m back; second in 100m free; second in 50m back; first in 200m free and first in 50m breast
Jayden Davis, also 11-years old earned top spots in his races as well: Second in the 50m free; first in the 50m fly; fourth in the 100m free; second in the 100m fly; third in the 200m free and in the 50m breast stroke, Jayden placed ninth.
Mateo Gardiner, 13 entered competition and finished with: 9th in the 50m free; sixth in the 50m fly; sixth in the 100m breaststroke and 12th in the 50m breast.
Leniah Hamilton, 7-years-old had a stand out showing with a second place in the 50m fly; fourth in the 100m free; seventh in 50m backstroke; third in 50m breaststroke; second place in the 100m breast and seventh position in 50m freestyle swim.
Lenika Hamilton, 9-years-old was described as “graceful in the water” and earned a first in the 50m fly; fifth in 100m free; third in the 50m back, 16th in the 50m breast; 12th in the 100m breast and a fifth place spot in 50m free.
TCI Aquatics Swim Clubs is one of the few in the Turks and Caicos Islands; it is run by a family of swimmers who are native to both The Bahamas and TCI with lead coach, Lenin Hamilton. The team is now returned to Providenciales Turks and Caicos; one can find coach Hamilton training the team, coaching new talent, teaching new swimmers and running an adult swim program off the popular Rickie’s Flamingo Café on Grace Bay Beach.