A total of 14 international athletes, including several Olympians, have chosen Grand Cayman as their training destination ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Amongst the accomplished track-and-fielders who are on island, some of which preparing for the Games are three-time Olympic medalist Will Claye, two-time US national champion Ameer Webb and gold medalist at the European Championships Jodie Williams.
The majority of the athletes arrived on Grand Cayman on 4 Jan., and have been staying at Palm Heights, where they have been using onsite facilities, like the gym and recovery machines.
The Department of Sports has also granted them accesses to the Truman Bodden Sports Complex where they will have several training sessions over the next two months.
“We want to develop the infrastructure,” Jennifer O’Reilly, curator for athletes and sports at Palm Heights, told the Compass. “We approach different areas of excellence when working with the best the world has to offer…
“Cayman has a world-class track and we were fortunate enough to work with the new sports minister (Isaac Rankine) and the folks down at the track for them to be able to train there as well.”
Outside of the Cayman national track, the athletes have access to a cold plunge, sauna, steam room, a physiotherapist, and both an indoor and outdoor gym, all while having a world class coach in Stuart McMillan, who has trained around 70 Olympians, 30 of whom have won Olympic medals, in addition to coaching National Football League (NFL) players.
“He is one of the world’s best sprint coaches,” O’Reilly said. “It is really important for athletes to know that we have the best, when they are coming down,” noting that training camps in Cayman are especially great for athletes trying to escape the winter.
Webb, a two-time US national champion and Olympian, confirmed that he hasn’t qualified for Paris 2024 but he is hoping that his training in “paradise” will move him closer to hitting the mark at upcoming track events.
“It’s been amazing thus far, but it’s hard to stay focused around such beautiful scenery,” Webb told the Compass. “I didn’t want to get burnt out back home. So, this is great just to have a change of scenery, different vibe, other great athletes that are coming in and out of the island that was really motivating me, but just being in paradise like this, it’s incredible.”
According to O’Reilly, it isn’t the first time that the hotel, commonly known for hosting celebrities have welcomed elite athletes.
“I’ve had an Olympic gymnast come down and they have used the facilities; we’ve had Olympic weightlifters that have been down [and] some NFL guys,” she recalled, noting that due to the fame of many of the athletes, their followers could potentially be enticed to visit the Cayman Islands, as a further boost to tourism.
Several Caymanian sports people are also preparing for the Olympics, including swimmer Jordan Crooks, who primarily trains at his school, the University of Tennessee. Crooks, a world champion and qualifier for Paris 2024, who is inspiring the next generation of athletes.
According to O’Reilly, Palm Heights also tries to give back to the community, on occasions when they bring down international athletes, linking them to local sports groups. In one instance, “we did a weightlifting and conditioning master class with the women on the Cayman Rugby team”.
She added, “When people look and see, they can see all the amazing things that are happening in the Cayman Islands, not just Palm Heights.”
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