Special Olympics swimmer Andrew Smilley has won gold in the 800 metres freestyle at the first Special Olympics World Aquatics Invitational in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The tournament runs until Monday and has more than 320 Special Olympics athletes from 29 countries competing. Smilley, 23, won in 10 minutes, 28.73 seconds. His next event is the 1500m open water sea swim on Saturday.
Kanza Bodden is the other Special Olympics athlete competing for the Cayman Islands. The team is lead by Toni Johnson and Kanza’s parents, Nancy and John Bodden, are there to support their daughter and Smilley.
Kanza’s events are the 100m free and 100m backstroke. She swam in the preliminaries on Wednesday. The finals are on Thursday.
Maxine Everson is on the board of directors of Special Olympics Cayman Islands. She said: “It’s fantastic that Andrew has won the gold in the 800m. He won a silver in a big meet last time and worked really hard to get gold this time. His coaches Andy Copley and Penny McDowall are so proud.”
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Good job Andrew! You continue to make Cayman proud!
Congratulations! I knew you could do it continue to make Cayman proud. Well done my friend. Give the world the best you have, and the best will come to you and I must say you deserve it. May God bless you and keep you always.