Votes needed to get local swim pioneer world award

(CIASA): Cayman’s own Frankie Flowers, the Visionary behind the annual Flowers Sea Swim has been nominated by the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) for an award in the “Performance of the Year” category. According to the website… “the WOWSA Awards are given not necessarily to the best athletes, but is meant to honour the individuals who best embody the spirit of open water swimming, possess the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for, and  have most positively influenced the world of open water swimming during the year.”

Frank Flowers fits all of these categories and is an obvious choice for winner and that is where the public comes in. Everyone is encouraged to visit the website www.openwaterswimming.com to vote for Frankie Flowers and the Flowers Sea Swim. This is an easy way to be sure that not just the Cayman Islands, but the World knows about Frankie, his family and the amazing annual sea swim.

Frankie Flowers is one of the pioneers of open water swimming in the Cayman Islands, taking the Flowers Sea Swim from just sixty swimmers in 1992 to over 800 participants as the event celebrated its 20th anniversary this past June. The event has grown from strength to strength, and is now touted as the world’s richest sea swim and is largely regarded by the global open water community as one of the world’s top ocean water swims. Frankie has brought dozens of Olympic gold medalists to Cayman’s shores to mentor the Island’s up and coming swimmers and also donates all of the event’s registration proceeds to a worthy local charity. Frankie’s passion and relentless dedication to the sport of swimming should certainly be recognized.

Previous Cayman Connection nominations included Andrew Smilley who was nominated for, and WON, the Open Water Performance of the Yearin 2009 for his 107th place finish, in a field of 800 swimmers, in the RCP Tiburon Mile and placed third in the 19-29 age in the non-wetsuit division in the San Francisco Bay; and swimming friend of Cayman Penny Palfrey who completed three amazing swims in 2011, one of which was the 68-mile swim from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman which Frank Flowers organized.

Peter Mackay, CIASA President said this about the nomination: “Frank Flowers is a long serving Director on the CIASA Board, he is a stalwart in the Cayman Swimming Family and the visionary behind the internationally successful Flowers Sea Swim. He is most deserving to be nominated for – and to win – this award and I am urging everyone to visit the site, vote – and encourage all your friends to do so as well.”