Donna Raynor On Women’s Sport And More
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Donna Raynor, chair of the Bermuda Olympic Association’s Women in Sport Committee, believes Bermuda is witnessing a golden era for women’s sports, with an unprecedented number of inspiring role models paving the way for future generations of female athletes.
Raynor highlighted the recent Girls in Sports Symposium, and the Women in Sports Leadership (WISL) Awards as prime examples of how young athletes are being inspired to achieve excellence through dedication, perseverance, and passion.
Among the standout achievements, Raynor emphasised the accomplishments of triathlete Dame Flora Duffy, an Olympic champion and widely regarded as the island’s greatest-ever athlete.
Other recent triumphs include the Bermuda women’s national football team, who secured gold at the NatWest Island Games in Guernsey last year and narrowly missed qualifying for the Concacaf Gold Cup play-offs.
The national women’s hockey team also made headlines by qualifying for the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Notably, last year’s Olympic Games in Paris saw Bermuda’s team achieve a significant milestone, with 50 per cent of the athletes being women.
In addition, two Bermudian women shone at the Paralympics in Paris, with Jessica Lewis competing in athletics and Yushae DeSilva-Andrade showcasing her skills in boccia.
“Women’s sport is moving in the right direction on the island,” Raynor told Bernews.
“Triathlon is thriving because of Flora’s success. They have noodles and noodles of athletes!
“Our women’s national football team is doing really well. It helps that so many of those players are overseas because your ability improves with higher competition.
“We have a young crop of athletes in athletics and must wait and see how they develop. We don’t have that many in university right now – we would love to improve that.
“Sports such as cricket, hockey, swimming, sailing and archery, to name but a few, are also producing talented young female athletes.”
Raynor believes nurturing future talent is essential.
She highlighted the importance of events like the Girls in Sports Symposium, which recently welcomed 32 young athletes to engage with a panel of elite female role models, including: Natasha Trott [football], Caitlyn Bobb [athletics], Jessica Lewis [para-athletics], Erica Hawley [triathlon], Emma Harvey [swimming], Adriana Penruddocke [sailing], Yushae Desilva-Andrade [boccia], and Jaden Masters [football].
“It was important for those athletes to get in the room and listen stories from our top women’s panellists [Natasha Trott football, Caitlyn Bobb, athletics, Jessica Lewis, para-athletics, Erica Hawley, triathlon, Emma Harvey, swimming, Adriana Penruddocke, sailing, Yushae Desilva-Andrade, boccia, and Jaden Masters, football],” said Raynor, a World Athletics Council member.
“The young athletes said they were so inspired, encouraged and want to stay in sport to reach the highest of heights.
“We also told them that even when they finish playing, there are coaching roles, administrative roles.
“Your involvement in sport doesn’t have to stop once you finish as an athlete.”
Among those recognised at the [WISL] Awards, organised by the BOA’s Gender Diversity & Inclusion Committee, were the late Judy Simons, the former BOA president, Margret Heyliger [swimming], Katura Horton-Perinchief [diving], Heidi Mello [equestrian], Donna Raynor [athletics], Branwen Smith-King [all sports], Patty Petty [triathlon], Jaime Masters McDowell [equestrian], Latonia Fray [hockey], Shona Palmer [swimming], Shequita Parsons [football] and Leatrice Oatley [sailing].
“Most people don’t know we have so many Bermudian females involved with international sporting bodies,” Raynor added.
“There women have fantastic stories and were so pleased to be recognised.
“For an island this small, we are doing so well internationally. We’re punching above our weight.”
