A sense of pride permeated inside the Owen Roberts International Airport Tuesday as family, friends and supporters staged a heroes’ welcome for Cayman’s 2023 Special Olympics World Games athletes, who brought home 15 medals.
There were cheers and tears as the 16 athletes embraced their loved ones, following their efforts at the mega event which wrapped up on 25 June, in Berlin, Germany.
The athletes competed across a number of disciplines, including athletics, powerlifting and swimming, and earned 15 medals, including two golds won by swimmer Kanza Bodden and shot-put thrower Shanike Ebanks.
When asked how she felt about all the cheering at the airport, Bodden responded “great”. She added that she felt awesome after winning gold in the 200-metre freestyle swim and bronze in the 400m free, while also crediting her mother for her support.
“My mom (Nancy Bodden) says keep swimming fast,” Bodden told the Compass.
Bodden was interviewed wearing her special ‘Swim Fast’ T-shirt on ESPN following her gold medal win.
Amongst the many mothers with teary eyes at the airport was Sheena Lawrence, whose two sons, Elijah and Rasheed both brought home medals from the games.
“I feel very proud. They have come a long way,” Lawrence said, adding that she believes they have the potential “to be anything in life.”
All champions
While winning medals add to the success of the athletes, Jennifer Powell, Cayman’s Special Olympics head of delegation, said all the competitors are champions, noting that despite being born with disabilities, they continue to exceed expectations and inspire others worldwide.
“It’s extremely emotional, knowing how far they have come with their training,” Powell told the Compass. She said several of the athletes had never been off the island before and had to overcome their intellectual disabilities and social anxieties at the games that featured competitors from more than 190 countries.
“It was a lot of firsts for a lot of them,” she said. “The ones that didn’t win any medals, they all got personal best times. Everyone was a winner in our eyes.”
Tessa Terry took bronze in the 100-metre dash, while Shanike Ebanks secured gold in shot put and bronze in the 50m. Elijah Lawrence, Javaughnie Thomas, Julius Smith and Lewin Solomon all contributed to claim silver in the 4x100m relay. Solomon also took silver in the 200m, ahead of Thomas who settled for bronze.
Powerlifter Dante Thompson secured two bronze medals in the deadlift and bench press. Swimmer Dayana Powery won a silver medal in the 200m free. Rasheed Lawrence took bronze in his open water swim.
Athletes like Aliyah Shand, Ashanti Sappleton, Jose Reyes, Tivon Gerraway, Jordan McLean and Matthew Javier all had top performances as well.
‘200% effort’
Sports minister Bernie Bush, who is a founding member of the local Special Olympics Committee and former president, accompanied the athletes at the World Games.
“First, hats off to the parents, for making sure that their children go to practice,” Bush told the Compass. “Next, the coaches, I know what they have gone through. Then we get to the athletes… I had the honour of watching them compete for three days, and the effort [with which] every single time one of those young people competed – it was 200% and that, you cannot put into words.”
Understanding the importance of inclusiveness, Bush said, he plans to have a Special Olympian clause included in the contracts of financial purchase agreements with various sporting associations, “within reason”.
“Swimming is already doing it, hats off to CIASA (Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association),” he said.
In closing, Bush said to the athletes, “You all have made your family, your organisation, but most of all, you have made your country extremely proud. Thank you.”
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So proud of these amazing young people.