HISTORY OF MASTERS SWIMMING IN BARBADOS
Masters swimming started in Barbados in 1982, when a small group of senior swimmers, encouraged by Joey Kaufmann of Trinidad, started training at the Casuarina Beach Club pool. Barbados invited Trinidadian swimmers to a meet which took place at Casuarina that same year. A subsequent meet was held in Trinidad in 1984.
In 1985 the first World Championship Masters games were held in Toronto, Canada and a team of Barbadians and Trinidadians took part under the banner of the Causarina Masters.
The team not only did well, but the results of the competition became an inspiration to the members. The relay team won the event by one hundreth of a second. It was this that inspired the team to go back home and start taking swimming seriously again.
Interest in Masters swimming in Barbados grew during the next five years. The island was fortunate to have many of its former swimmers still living on the island covering many age groups.
The Casuarina Masters as the local team was called at the time had its greatest achievement in Toronto in 1987. Angus Edghill broke world records in each of the six individual events in which he participated and teamed up with Albert Weatherhead, Maurice Foster and David Farmer to win and break world records in the Medley and Free Style Relasy. David Farmer also broke one individual world master's record. Angus was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet.
At the 1992 World Championships in Indianapolis, USA, the Masters free style relay team of Angus Edghill, Vere Lawrence, Maurice Foster and David Farmer won the Silver Medal. Since his entry into Masters Swimming, Angus Edghill broke 13 individual world records.
Chris Gibbs became the first Caribbean swimmer and third oldest person to swim the English Channel on 20th August 2003.
And if that was not enough, one year later, Chris' younger brother, Peter, swam Lake Ontario in Canada.
Masters swimming continued to reap success, and in September 2003, the men's team was crowned champions at the 7th Latin American and Caribbean Masters Swimming Championships held here in Barbados.
Between 2003 and 2010, Masters Swimming was dormant, and it wasn't until October 2010 that an effort was made to revive the sport. A small team of 5 swimmers lead by the experienced Geoffrey King, traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to participate in that country's Masters Club Championships, with great success.
This was the jump start that was needed. In January 2011, "Flying Fish Barbados Masters" Swim Club was formed. This "new" club with more than 40 members is the future of Masters Swimming in Barbados. It includes some of the "legends" of the past and some much needed "young" blood.
