Olympic swimmers take part in local fundraiser

(CIASA): Olympic Swimmers Liam Tancock, Caitlin McClatchey and Conor Dwyer took to the sea off of Cayman’s world famous Seven Mile Beach last weekend as part of the Cayman Island Amateur Swimming Association’s (CIASA) fund raising weekend. Over 100 local swimmers swam alongside them earning bragging rights to say they swam with Olympians. Alex McCallum also earned the right to say he beat a second Olympian when he crossed the finish line 0.06 of a second ahead of McClatchey. McCallum previously beat 2012 Olympic 10K Gold Medal Winner Oussama Mellouli in the 2012 Pirates Week 5K Open Water event.

There were two swims, a 200m and a 400m event, which meant that swimmers from Under 8 to Over 70 could complete.

Tancock, a sprinter took on the 200m distance while McClathchey and Dwyer swam in the 400m swim.

“This was my first open water swim,” said Tancock “and it was amazing. What a bonus – to complete your first open water swim in the Cayman Islands in this amazing water.”

Tancock placed first in the 200m event while Dwyer took first place in the 400m event, with McCallum coming second and McClatchey third. The three visiting Olympians were joined in the water by Cayman’s local Olympians Andrew Mackay and Darren Mew (a British Olympian who currently lives and works in Cayman), Heather Roffey who cheered the swimmers on from the beach and Special Olympian Andrew Smilley.

The Sea Swims were the “Dash” of the fund raising weekend which saw the Olympians “Splash” in to clinics with Cayman’s younger swimmers and “Dine” at a fund raising brunch as well. Full results of the sea swim will be posted on www.ciasa.ky .

The CIASA is a volunteer, not for profit association dedicated to furthering the interests of all aquatic sports in the Cayman Islands. CIASA is the recognized Governing Body of aquatic sports in the Cayman Islands and is a member of FINA, UANA, CCCAN and the CIOC.