BOSCOBEL, St. Mary:
A FEW LUCKY St. Mary residents will soon have a chance to learn synchronise swimming at Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club. Two young guests Alexandria Bollaidlaw and Kirby Hoag pledged their commitment to start a swim club later this year, through the resort's community outreach programme.
Although the girls took some time out to relax with their family in Jamaica, they could not resist the calling of the blue waters of the Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club dive pool and practised everyday for 15-20 minutes on their nine day vacation. Every afternoon they would attract a small group of curious onlookers who would gather at the pool to watch them go through their two minute routine.
Miss Charmaine Bailey, the Executive Assistant Manager at Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club, stopped by the pool one afternoon on her walk around the property and had a chance meeting with Cynthia Hoag, mother of Kirby. Cynthia told Miss Bailey of the girls love for the island and people of Jamaica and asked how they could contribute their time and expertise to the resort's outreach programme. It was decided that they would return some time in the near future to conduct training workshops with children and adults who loved swimming, and wanted to take their love of the sport to another level. "We would like to teach children especially in the immediate community and team members at the resort, said Alexandria & Kirby excitedly. "We believe that they will enjoy learning the sport and maybe move on to form clubs in their communities and compete at national and international levels", added Kirby.
The two girls, both age 12 felt, in love with the synchronise swimming at an early age, but did not take up the sport seriously until three years ago, when they were encouraged by family and friends to combine their talents of ballerina, swimming and dancing. "I was bored with swimming and my cousin Erika told me to try 'synchro'," said Alexandria. When you have background in gymnastics, dance and swimming it makes it easier to do synchro, said Cynthia, Kirby's mother. Both girls have been involved in all areas from the age of five. Alexandria and Kirby are currently members of the Northern Virginia Nereids Synchronise Swimming club in Virginia USA and hopes to take home trophies at the regional finals this month and move on to the Esynchro Age Group Championships in Gainesville, Florida in June.
For those who are interested in the art of poetry in motion under water, they know that synchronise swimming is a sport in which swimmers, singly or in groups perform dance like movements in time to music. As the name suggests, swimmers are required to synchronise their movements to music and their team members. While holding their breath underwater and exerting body control and strength and at the same time taking into consideration the effective use of space. For more information on the programme interested community members can call Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club.
