Change in weather clears way for Travers’ debut

(CNS): Having made history in the Cayman Islands as the country’s first ever winter Olympian by qualifying for the giant slalom, Dow Travers is only days away from his debut in the world’s most famous winter sports event. Despite a long-term ankle injury and training thwarted by the mild weather in Whistler, Travers says he is raring to go. Monday was the first day of a resumed programme thanks to overnight colder weather and the young skier finally got some training on the mountain where he will compete. “I’m feeling good,” said an upbeat Travers.

“We’re just doing our last few days of training. Obviously, we were a little bit bogged down by the weather but now we’re beginning to get into the rhythm of it just coming up into the competition," he said.  “The ankle is a little sore but we’re making sure we’re doing lots of physio every day to ensure there are no ill effects from it. I just hope to do the best I can and make Cayman proud. The majority of Caymanians seem to be pretty excited at having someone in the Olympics.”

Travers also said that it was great to have Cayman’s premier, MacKeeva Bush, and the sports minster, Mark Scotland, at the opening ceremony. “I didn’t actually see Mr Bush but did have lunch with Mark the other day,” Travers added.

Travers’ coach, Gene Bridgewater, also noted that Travers’ ankle was bearing up. “We’re doing physio every afternoon to ensure there’s no problem with swelling,” he said.

The weather has presented a frustrating time for Travers and his coach, waiting for a decent hard, icy surface to train on, and David Carmichael, the Chef de Mission for the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee, said it was too soft for Cayman’s skier to train on when the team first arrived.

“But now it’s snowed the last couple of days, visibility is back after all the fog; the temperature has dropped so Dow is able to go on the hill. Everybody is struggling to get on the slopes and get some hill time and get used to the conditions. It’s icy and granular and all over the place very soft snow,” he explained. “Dow is in good shape. He’s been doing a lot of dryland training, working through his kit, ensuring everything’s alright. His coach, Gene Bridgewater, is happy. They’ve made connections with other teams and jumped in and made training runs with them.”

Travers’ coach, who is an American originally from Boulder, Colorado, but who now lives in Aspen, wears the Cayman Olympic gear with pride and said he is getting lots of double takes.

“Where’s the Cayman Islands, they ask,” laughs Bridgewater. “Also, Cayman pins are a very hot commodity.” Bridgewater had the pleasure of visiting Cayman once when his sister was married there in Smith Cove.

Travers competes down the slopes of Whistler, 80 miles north of Vancouver, on Sunday in the Giant Slalom when the whole island will be rooting for the 22-year-old Brown University student. Although he won’t medal, qualifying is a huge and historic achievement, just to be competing against skiers who were born on slopes and not a flat Caribbean island.  Travers has been competing seriously since he was 14, and on Sunday the culmination of all that dedication will nicely dovetail in the ultimate challenge in the supreme tournament against the world’s best.

Source: Ron Shillingford