Grant Gilliam circumnavigated Grand Cayman on a paddleboard in record time – a feat set for the Guinness World Records, pending official confirmation.
Gilliam left the public dock in West Bay at around 8pm on 3 Oct., travelling around the island clockwise, reaching where he started at approximately 4:15pm the next day.
“It was very tough, suffering, humbling. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, mentally and physically,” Gilliam said shortly after completing the voyage around the island.
After greeting family and well-wishers, he was transported to the Anthony S. Eden Hospital in George Town, suffering from swollen legs, but was later said to be recovering.
Cayman Snorkel Company provided the support vessel Escape Hatch during the attempt, and Gilliam and his support team said they expect the successful completion will be confirmed as an official record.
“The two guys I brought are the [required] two independent witnesses, and Grant filmed the entire trip with a go-pro camera attached to his board,” explained Jason Hatch, who led the support team. He added that he was sure the rules had been followed.
“We kept logs, but they still need to write their witness statements and submit them,” Hatch said.
It’s not known how long it will take to get official confirmation of the record.
Gilliam said, “One of the reasons I wanted to do it was to inspire my kids that you can do anything you want, if you try hard.”
After paddling for over 20 hours, Gilliam’s children raced to the shoreline to hug their father as he arrived on shore.
Gilliam admitted he’d had doubts about completing the journey.
“Within the first hour, I was doubting it and pretty much all night, spending about eight or 10 hours alone in the darkness trying to trail the boat. I contemplated that I was crazy and maybe I should quit,” he said.
The father of three lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he works in venture capital and private equity investment.
Gilliam said he has been visiting the Cayman Islands once per year since he was a child, and he now brings his own family.
“Once a year is not a lot of time, but this place is like a second home to me, I have been coming for over 30 years,” he said.
Gilliam came up with the idea to paddle around the island about a year ago.
“I applied to establish the record sometime shortly after, and then finally decided to go for it two months ago,” he said. “I could not have done it without the help of my Cayman support team,” he said.
This is not the first time a paddleboarder has gone around Grand Cayman, but it is the first time it has been attempted following the official Guinness Book of World Records rules.
In 2022, Compass Media reported that Jasmin ‘Yaz’ Muratagic and Eoghan Ryan raised $20,000 for the charity ARK when they made the trip around the island on their paddleboards. In 2019, they successfully paddled about 80 miles from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman.
On hearing of the circumnavigation by Gilliam, Muratagic said, “I respect his accomplishment,” adding, “I will be coming for the record 100 percent”.
Gilliam said of the potential challenge, “I will respect anyone who is willing to go through the torture I just went through, and if they can beat it, more power to them, they deserve it.
“If someone beats it, I can assure you I will never do it again.”
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