Two of Cayman’s top swimmers, Alex McCallum and Lara Butler, are studying for degrees at the University of Loughborough in England and hoping to make the Commonwealth Games team this summer.
Both 19-year-olds started in the local swimming program as small children and have progressed admirably over the years.
Their lives have taken parallel paths and by coincidence not only are they at the same university, being coached by former Cayman Islands technical director of swimming, Ian Armiger, they are also studying for the same degree, in economics with accounting.
Loughborough’s swimming team has a long and proud history of sporting excellence.
McCallum and Butler already knew members of the team, some of whom have swum here, so the transition from Caribbean life has been relatively smooth.
Both are sorely missed at open water swims where they dominated, but with younger siblings also in the program, family representation is rarely absent.
As Cayman has such a small team, they only have to make the qualifying times to reach the Glasgow Games.
McCallum and Butler were here for the Christmas holidays and trained at the Stingray Swim Club along with Matthew Courtis, who is also studying for a degree, at Oxford. Butler’s talented swimming brothers Geoff and Simon also trained with Stingray at the Lions pool, inspiring the younger kids who are training for the CARIFTA Games at Easter.
McCallum said, “It took me a couple months to settle into the setup at Loughborough as it was a big change with a different program and different training style and intensity.”
In the coming months, the pair will take part in a couple of small meets leading up to the Scottish Nationals at the beginning of April, which is the main focus for this training cycle and, hopefully, Games qualification.
McCallum hopes to qualify in the 200-meter backstroke and possibly the 50m and 100m backstroke as well.
“Looking at the amount of time I have to drop is quite daunting but considering the amount of time I’ve been dropping in the past year, I’m feeling very confident,” he said.
“Lara is doing great here too. She’s been swimming some good races and should make the Commonwealth Games easily with the way she’s been training.
“Ian Armiger has helped us both a lot. He gives input on a daily basis for me, but even more so for Lara as he coaches her full-time.”
McCallum is pleased that Butler was already there to help him settle in. “As we do the same course, it helps each other out with regards to coping with training, studying and competing,” he said.
McCallum and Butler already knew some of the members of the team, some of whom have swum here, so the transition from Caribbean life has been relatively smooth.
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