Hundreds of participants took to the crystal-clear waters off Seven Mile Beach for the 34th annual Flowers Sea Swim.
The highly anticipated one-mile swim, hosted on Saturday, 13 June, saw participants push off from the start line at Jacks Beach Bar and finish in front of The Villas of the Galleon, with Christian Davidson finishing the race in first place.
Frank E. Flowers Jr. described the day’s outcome as “unbelievable”, adding, “God is good. The weather came through and it was an amazing day. Also, this is actually the first time since COVID-19 that we have hit max registration.”
“We actually had to cut it off at 800 and then we had about 700 participants in the water, so it was a really beautiful day,” Flowers Jr. added.
Joining the one-mile swim action were local Olympian swimmers, including Cayman’s brother duo Brett and Shaune Fraser, alongside Andrew MacKay and Geoffrey Butler.
They were joined by a roster of international Olympians, including Roland Schoeman of South Africa, Darren Mew of Great Britain and Erica Sullivan of the United States.
For Sullivan, an Olympic silver medallist in the 1500-metre freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, the event held personal significance as her first open-water appearance in several years.
“This was my first time doing this race and it’s actually the first time I’ve swam an open water race in four years. The last open water race I did was at US Nationals where I dislocated my shoulder mid race, so that was pretty career altering,” Sullivan said.
“It’s always nice to be back out here, have a good experience and kind of remake that up. It was an amazing race, great conditions, and it’s such a well-run event. It’s so community-based, and I really appreciate that. I’m so grateful for the Flowers family for bringing me out here,” she added.
Reflecting on Cayman’s waters, Sullivan said, “It was warm, but it felt pretty good. I would say I’m definitely used to colder Pacific water, so this was a shock, for sure … [but] it’s always nice to come back to those open water roots and do it again.”
Swim Free programme
Beyond the competitive element, the primary driver for the event is its charitable impact.
For the fourth consecutive year, the event championed its ‘Swim Free’ initiative, with all registration fees collected going directly toward funding free swimming lessons for government primary school students from kindergarten through Year 2.
Designed to build water safety and confidence, the programme teaches children to swim a minimum of 10 feet with the aim of potentially saving lives.
This underlying cause, alongside a strong sense of community, are among the reasons that brought out returning participants such as former Caymanian national swimmer Kenneth Glidden.
“I love the camaraderie around it all and the fact that so many people are getting out in the water. Also, getting some exercise while having fun and being able to support such a good cause makes it so worth it,” Glidden said.
Now based in Cayman, Australian-born Kiralee Harnett first took on the race in 2007, the same year she moved to the island.
“The event was amazing back then and it’s amazing now. I just love it. It’s a great vibe and it’s no pressure. Overall, it’s just a great swim, and you get to see amazing ocean life at the same time, so it’s almost not a race,” Harnett said.
“I’ve done many ocean swims around the world and in Australia, and this one is my favourite because it’s just different. I can’t explain it,” she added.
Having completed the race multiple times, Harnett said her very first one remains her all-time favourite, adding that she plans to participate every year for as long as she is able.
With the 34th edition successfully concluded, attention is already shifting toward the future with Frank E. Flowers Jr. and his father revealing that planning is under way for a major celebration to mark the event’s landmark 35th anniversary next year.
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