Swim for the Sanctuary lauded a success
RACE DIRECTOR Alan Beckford, a veteran who has logged many laps on Jamaica’s swimming circuit, on Saturday uttered, sotto voce, “This is the best open-water swim we’ve ever had, ”as Swim for the Sanctuary wound down with medal presentations at White River House Beach, Ocho Rios.
A Jamaica Inn Foundation fundraiser for the White River Fish Sanctuary, the Jamaica Tourist Board event was an overwhelming success with the who’s who of Jamaica’s swimming fraternity out for the day, the meet’s races ranging from a 500-metre loop for youngsters with 1K, 2K, and 3K distances for more experienced swimmers.
Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica-affiliated clubs were also represented in sprint relays under the watchful eyes of Ministry of Health & Wellness representatives, whose monitoring of COVID-19 protocols was made easy by the organiser’s insistence on strict adherence.
“We are happy with the event,” remarked an enthused Beckford. “We started at exactly 7:30 a.m. and all the competitors enjoyed themselves including some of our top national swimmers.
“This is the first open-water swim in Jamaica in two years and this is a fantastic venue. Next year we hope to go international. We had a full slate of age-group swimmers from 9-10, 15 and over, up to masters,” Beckford added.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
National swimmer Zaneta Alvaranga, who placed 25th in the 50-metre butterfly at the 2019 FINA World Championships, Budapest 2019, won the women’s 3K event. She described the openwater swim as being “out of the ordinary”.
“I normally do sprints, ”Alvaranga pointed out, adding that she was in full support of the fundraiser. “It’s important to preserve marine life,” the well-decorated national swimmer noted.
Mark Hart, chief executive officer, title sponsor, Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ), which teamed up with the Tourism Enhancement Fund and a dozen other entities to stage the event, said his company is out to launch its own foundation, Care Protect Jamaica, aimed at protecting marine life.
“Care Protect Jamaica has been sponsoring outreach programmes at the Montego Bay Marine Park, similarly trying to protect the marine environment. The outreach programmes target secondary schools, highlighting proper waste-management and how improper disposal affects our environment.
“We take the schools on field trips to the marine park and educate them about the impact when waste reaches the sea from our gullies. It’s really all about awareness,” Hart added.
“Considering CPJ and Jamaica, in general, rely heavily on tourism, preserving our marine environment is critical. People may want to say we are doing this for tourists but, like it or not, tourism affects all Jamaicans in one way or another,” he pointed out.