Stingray athletes aim to raise $15,000 during 6-mile ‘Swim in Memory’
On Saturday, 8 August, a group of senior athletes from Stingray Swim Club will attempt to swim across the North Sound in honour of Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Brown, who died tragically in a boating accident one year ago. Manny lived a life in service to others as a police officer, football referee and owner of the Jungle Float water attraction. He was a father of three and took his greatest pride in his children Noah, Raya, and Ricoh.
Raya -- Emmanuel’s daughter, a Stingray member and Cayman Islands National Team representative -- will be one of the 5 athletes participating in the memorial swim.
Traversing a distance of more than 10 kilometres (or 6 miles), the ‘Swim in Memory’ represents far more than a physical feat. The other four swimmers and the Department of Environment will be there in support of Raya.
Raya said, “This swim means a lot to me, being able to do my first swim over 10K in remembrance of my dad and to support my club. It is going to be a challenge but I’m so thankful to be doing the swim with my teammates. We always support and motivate each other. It’ll be a tough swim but I’m excited!”
The swim is planned to start at Starfish Point and end at George Town Yacht Club, where Manny launched the Jungle Float.
The North Sound was Manny’s home and place of work. His life and death are a message to all about how even the strongest of us are vulnerable to the dangers of both the sea and boating practices. The hope is that through this swim we can promote water and boating safety and help bring about changes to make our beautiful sea accessible and safe for all to enjoy and respect. In furtherance of that goal, proceeds from the swim will go to Stingray Swim Club which has been dedicated to bringing swimming to all children in Cayman for nearly 25 years. The swimmers’ goal is to try to raise $15,000 in donations for the club. Stingray intends to use a portion of the proceeds to sponsor future members who do not have the financial ability to participate in competitive swimming.
“This swim is certainly one of the most meaningful events that I have been a part of since arriving in Cayman. The support the team has for each other is so strong and this swim is a testament to it. It is not a small feat to swim across the North Sound but all four were more than happy to do it in support of Raya. I’m really happy we found a way to honour Manny,” Stingray Head Coach David Pursley said.
Stingray Swim Club was founded in 1996 with a goal to promote the sport of competitive swimming at all levels. The club is a year-round competitive swim team offering high-quality support and technique instruction for all ages and abilities. With a history of producing swimmers who have performed well on the international stage including the Olympics, the team aims to provide every member with an opportunity to improve swimming skills and achieve success at their level of ability, from novice to high-performing competitors. Stingray provides assurances that the time children spend in swimming will be quality time offering guidance not only in their development as athletes but also as young members of society.
The swim is scheduled to start at approximately 6am and finish at 8 to 8:30am. The community is invited to show up at George Town Yacht Club and welcome the swimmers as they finish their courageous swim.
To donate to Swim in Memory, there are several options:
• Donate to the Stingray Swim Club through Butterfield Bank KYD – 1361415940019 or CNB KYD – 01108031
• Write a cheque payable to Stingray Swim Club and mail to PO Box 11315, KY1-1009.
Please state that the donation is for The North Sound Memorial Crossing.
For more information about Stingray Swim Club, please contact stingrayheadcoach@gmail.com or visit the club’s website, www.caymanswimming.com.
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