Race Recap: A true adventure at the Swim for Haiti

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This past weekend the Global Swim Series made a stop at the Swim for Haiti, an adventurous charity race that added an exciting race off the beaten path to the Series.  This year the race lived up to it’s adventurous reputation.

Despite the political instability and disorder from the elections and unusual weather, Swim for Haiti 2016 was a huge success!

21 swimmers tracked 9km to reach les Iles des Arcadins, with many more swimming the shorter distance. All received a medal locally hand made in Haiti. Among the winners, 5 countries and 3 continents were represented: Tim Day from Australia for the long swim, Christine Chenet representing Haiti for the half (4 km) swim, and Simon de Ruiter from the Netherlands, the youngest swimmer at 10, winning the 1 km swim. John Lane from Miami and Stephane Faure from Montreal clocked incredible times to come in under 3 hours just behind Tim Day for notable successes. Some truly inspiring swims all around.

Swimmers start

The theme of this year’s event was certainly, “kembe”, a creole word that means to persevere, not to give up. In the week prior to the swim, political turmoil hit the streets and the storm hitting the east coast of the United States was causing unusual weather conditions on our course. Many wondered if the event would still take place. But one of the swim’s main objectives was to show people that Haiti is not just about earthquakes and poverty and instability. It’s actually a beautiful Caribbean island. Race directors sat down and looked at the risks and opportunities. We planned for contingencies. And in the end the race was given the green light. One swimmer recounts how almost gave up in despair just 2 km before the finish when he started seeing coral 1 meter beneath him with schools of small bright blue fish floating through. It provided the final inspiration to reach the finish.

Sunrise before the race - fishermen are ready

Race director Jim Chu said after the race “We went away with a lesson, that we cannot let the factors that we don’t control go on to control us. Despite all odds, the Swim attracted dozens to explore this undiscovered jewel of a Caribbean island and inspire many more to do more than they though they were capable.”


Results

 Fishermen at the start

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