Pre-race TV Coverage From The Cayman Islands
World-class events get a lot of pre-race publicity and build-up.
The pre-race activities help boost participation numbers, helps swimmers to feel motivated, and gets the media involved – all very positive long-term goodwill that benefits the race.
For the Flowers Sea Swim and the Bridging The Cayman Islands swim, Dara Flowers-Burke and Steven Munatones talk on TV, explaining a bit about open water swimming.
Governor Duncan Taylor CBE said, “I am very excited by Penny’s attempt to take on the unprecedented swim from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman. The feat speaks for itself: an incredible and daunting challenge. As an open water swimmer myself I welcome the fact that Penny has decided to attempt this historic marathon swim in the Cayman Islands. This will bring excellent publicity to the Cayman Islands as a beautiful tourism destination and promote our growing reputation as a destination for sports tourism. It also brings a welcome extra dimension to the world famous Flowers Sea Swim this year.”
It is extremely rare for a head of state to comment on open water swimming – and even more rare that the head of state is an open water swimmer himself. A great sign of support from the local community.
Photo shows Dara Flowers-Burke and father Frank Flowers. Video courtesy of Cayman 27:
Copyright © 2011 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor – Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame’s Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming’s Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University’s John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.