Swimmers Attend Carifta Preparation Camp
Twelve Bermuda swimmers are attending a swim camp as they seek positions on the team for this year’s Carifta Games.
National Coach Ben Smith said, “Although we may soon be able to train in our own 50 meter pool there is much more to this kind of camp experience. We have 12 swimmers that range from multiple Carifta medalists to swimmers fighting to get on their first Carifta team.
“They are all working together both on land and in the pool as a team. They eat meals together, get sore together, complain to each other and brag of their accomplishments of the day.”
Coach Smith continued, “Their days begin at 6am with a quick breakfast before a 1 mile run. The swimmers then do 50 minutes of exercises that include boxing, core work and body weight training to near exhaustion.
“This is followed by 2 hours in the pool doing the hardest swim work they have done so far for the season. They return to the hotel for a couple of hours of rest and relaxation before returning to the pool for their second swim session.
“We make sure they get enough down time, food and stay hydrated while they continue to be challenged at every activity. The challenge is both mental and physical and we are able to push them without the normal distractions of Bermuda living.
“They all have goals that they are striving for this season and they all believe that this sacrifice is worth it to reach their goals. It is a great life lesson to set challenging goals and then sacrifice to reach them.
“Of course I hope to see this camp produce more qualifiers at the upcoming meets and to help provide the extra edge needed for us to reach the podium in Jamaica. More important overall is to continue to see the positive development of 12 young people.
“It would be great to see more funding and support for the kinds of programs that can produce these role models in the future. This experience will be invaluable in their swimming development but the cost to reach this level is high and we need to make sure that if they are willing to sacrifice we are able to give them these opportunities,” concluded Coach Smith.
Nice face Shannon