Awards event splashes out for swimmers
Stingray Swim Club officials and 2015 award winners (Photo by Stingray Swim Club)
(CNS): The Stingray Swim Club (SSC) honoured swimmers, as well as coaches, parents and support staff, at its annual awards banquet. At the event, recently held at the Westin Grand Cayman, SSC friends and family celebrated the end of a year characterised by change, success and an overwhelming forward momentum.
With the fresh approach of two new coaches – head coach David Pursley, who joined the club in November 2014 and Tim Leonhart, who arrived in January 2015 – the team has grown in numbers and seen the advent of the long-planned high-performance group and the much-needed high school development group.
For the benefit of the newer parents and swimmers, SSC president Amanda Roberts recalled the club’s history and development, highlighting the challenges the SSC has had to overcome as well as its successes, saying that, whatever the obstacles, “we will not divert from our mission to be inclusive and affordable, a community swim club where swimmers can move on from a learn-to-swim programme and grow to love the sport of swimming – Stingray Swim Club is the lead example that you can produce elite swimmers without being an elite club.”
Alison “Ali” Jackson was named Swimmer of the Year for her hard work, dedication, commitment, and success in the past year – she set multiple Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association (CIASA) and national records, and won six individual and two relay medals at CARIFTA 2015.
Among the other honours presented at the dinner were the Spirit and Sportsmanship Awards, for swimmers who display a strong sense of team spirit, sportsmanship and camaraderie; who participate fully; are enthusiastic members of the club; and whose spirit is contagious. These awards were presented to Noah Hill in the bronze group, Georgina Healey (silver), Olivia “Livvy” Plunkett (gold) and “Little” John Bodden (senior).
The Most Improved Swimmer Awards were presented to Ethan Smith (bronze), Katriona Williams (silver), Stephanie Royston (gold) and Jonathan Key (senior). The inaugural High School Development Group Award for Commitment and Enthusiasm was given to Anthony Christian.
An additional award, the Shepheard Cup, was presented to Ella Plunkett. The cup goes to the swimmer who is committed, enthusiastic, even passionate about swimming – who doesn’t always have to win, but does well; represents the club and country with pride at home and overseas; and generally is a great kid to have around the pool and on the team.
Former Stingray coach Marie Shepheard and her family donated the cup as a legacy to her son Leo, who died at 19 in a car accident. The club president uses this opportunity every year to send an important message to the swimmers, some of whom are now starting to drive, about road safety, making the right choices about driving and with whom you ride, and the absolute need to wear a seat belt.
Bailey Weathers, CIASA technical director, encouraged all the swimmers, acknowledging their hard work, commitment and dedication throughout the year.
All swimmers in attendance also received recognition for their participation as well as certificates and badges for the time standards they earned during the year.
For more information, visit the Stingray Swim Club website or email SSC
