We’ve got the Swimmers, We need the Pool

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, July 15, 2022 – Despite incredible talent, poor training facilities are holding TCI swimmers back according to TCI Swim Federation President Dan Redmond.  TCI junior swimmers put on an incredible showing in the recent “Race for the Conch” Eco SeaSwim Tournament managing to land on the podium for all but one of the events where they competed against adults and teens from across North America.

With this brilliant performance in mind it is unthinkable that the swimmers do not have proper swimming facilities.

Many of the TCIs top swimmers choose to train overseas because of the lack of resources on the islands. Rohan Shearer, Lenin Hamilton, Arleigha Hall and Luke Haywood, some of the island’s top swimmers in the past 5 years all chose to train overseas.  And it’s costing the TCI.  Luke no longer swims competitively for the country despite making it to the FINA world championships at 15 years old and the TCI was robbed of a double medal haul when infighting over where he trained pushed Lenin out of the 2022 CARIFTA games.

President of the TCI Swim Federation Dan Redmond lamented the issue.

“Perhaps if we had proper facilities talent like Luke would still be representing us. The pool Lenin’s club is trying to train in has a set of concrete steps stopping swimmers from completing lengths of the pool— We have the talent, we have the passion but no pool. Imagine what could be possible.”

Minister of Education Rachel Taylor spoke to the students in March this year and when asked what they thought they needed most Taylor said they told her “an Olympic size pool.” The government has promised that the pool will be built in the coming years and the land parcels have been allotted to house it.

The Turks and Caicos has a genuine chance to make its name in international swimming. Lenin Hamilton, Ethan Gardiner, Taijari Williams, Luke Haywood, Lenika Hamilton, Thaiss Burgess, Sophie Burgess, and Angelina Lidnenhanhn all medaled  in the recent Eco SeaSwim tournament.

Jayden Davis and Rohan Shearer have both medaled at CARIFTA, Jayden with a massive haul of 2 gold medals (a first ever for the Turks and Caicos) and 2 silver medals.  Additionally, Shearer and Haywood both made it to the World Championships. For a nation with less than 50 thousand people the level of talent is incredible.

One can only hope that the government makes good on this promise of proper training facilities.