Boxer Charles “Killa” Whittaker and marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey will be awarded the Order of the Cayman Islands for their individual sporting achievements over the weekend.
Mrs. Palfrey established a new world record by swimming almost 68 miles from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman in 40 hours, 41 minutes last weekend, exceeding the current long-distance open water solo unassisted swim by more than four miles.
Mr. Whittaker won two major boxing titles from one match over the weekend – the United States Boxing Association junior-middleweight and the World Boxing Council Continental junior-middleweight.
Both athletes were in the Legislative Assembly VIP gallery this week to hear Premier McKeeva Bush praise their efforts. Mr. Whittaker brought his two boxing belts with him.
Mr. Bush said Mrs. Palfrey had “used her deepest physical and mental resources to complete the 68-mile distance between Little Cayman and the East End of Grand Cayman.”
“This almost superhuman effort resulted in her breaking the previous record of 63 miles, a feat which has drawn wide international attention both to her as a swimmer, and to the Cayman Islands. As people have known for years, many wonderful things happen in the waters of the Cayman Islands,” he said.
He also lauded Mr. Whittaker’s victory, saying: “Boxing is also a solo sport and, as such, also demands that one pull on one’s reserves of courage and stamina, as well as the best use of one’s training and experience, to not just keep going, but to overcome.”
He added: “We congratulate Charles, and wish him continued success, for his own career’s sake, but also for the sake of the young men he might inspire to find disciplined ways and means to handle themselves.”
Members of the Legislative Assembly, staff and visitors rose and applauded the two athletes.
Mr. Bush said consideration was being given to conferring awards on both. He said Mrs. Palfrey may be conferred the Honourable Member of the Order of the Cayman Islands and Mr. Whittaker may receive the Member of the Order of the Cayman Islands.
Recommendations for the awards will be submitted to the committee that oversees the conferral of the awards.
Since Mr. Bush launched the new honours last year, which he dubbed the “people’s awards”, he has conferred the honours upon 24 people.
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