Brett and Shaune Fraser, Ronald Forbes, and Cydonie Mothersill prepare to represent the Cayman Islands in the 2012 London Olympic Games throughout July and August.
Shaune Fraser
Sport: Swimming
Age: 24
Hometown: George Town, Grand Cayman
Olympic events: 100- and 200-Metre Freestyle
Training grounds: Gainesville, Florida
Lucky for Shaune Fraser, he’s always got his brother, Brett, close by, egging him on. During the 2008 Olympics, the two were side by side serving as flag bearers during the opening ceremonies. They also both received athletic scholarships to attend the University of Florida. In other words, they spend a lot of quality time together.
Why are you so passionate about your sport?
I just love to race and compete; it keeps the sport fun, which [for me] is the most important aspect to anything that you do in life.
What do you do in your free time?
Swimming is a very time-consuming sport, but when I am not swimming I like to hang out with my friends and family, and relax as much as possible.
What do you miss most now that you’re not at home in Grand Cayman?
I miss my family, as most of my family still lives in the Cayman Islands. But I also miss the beaches; there are no other beaches around the world that can compare to ours.
What’s the toughest workout you do to train for the Olympic Games?
Not only do we have swimming practise, but we also run in stadiums and on dry land, and lift weights. The combination of all these workouts is probably the toughest thing about the sport.
What about the Olympics are you most looking forward to?
I am excited to compete and meet all the other athletes from around the world. It is also nice to catch up with friends from other countries that you don’t see very often.
Brett Fraser
Sport: Swimming
Age: 23
Hometown: George Town, Grand Cayman
Olympic event: 200-Metre Freestyle
Training grounds: Gainesville, Florida
Every athlete has a different way of prepping for competition. For Brett Fraser, it’s an ice-cold tank of water. He jumps in for about eight minutes to help flush out lactic acid. Beyond that, he also wears compression attire to help circulate blood flow and uses suction cups to break up really tight muscle fibres. “It looks like a giant squid got a hold of you,” he says.
Why are you passionate about your sport?
I love the extreme dedication and work ethic that goes into any sport, and being surrounded by like-minded people with such great goals is where my inspiration comes from.
Do you have any game-day rituals?
A good night’s sleep always helps. I listen to a lot of music and try to remain relaxed. I tell myself that I’ve done all the work and that the fun part is next.
What’s the toughest workout you do to train for the Olympics?
I wouldn’t say that there is necessarily one, but about a year prior to the event is when training starts to pick up [in intensity]. All aspects of my regimen start to gain great intensity in the final months leading up to the games.
What about the Olympics worries you/excites you most?
I try to be as completely prepared as possible, but there is always a side of nervousness that accompanies me to every competition. I’d like to say I am more excited than worried, though. The silent intensity that surrounds the Olympic atmosphere is most exciting to me; everyone wants to reach that pinnacle point in their career.
Tell us a few quirky things about yourself.
I sing underwater during practise sometimes. And I prefer to use both a fork and knife during every meal.
Name the number one thing you love about the Cayman Islands.
The food! Nothing really comes quite close. The beaches are also the best.
What are you most looking forward to doing and seeing in London?
The London Eye, Madame Tussauds, the museums, and the dining and nightlife (after competing).
Ronald Forbes
Sport: Track and Field
Age: 27
Hometown: North Side, Grand Cayman
Olympic event: 110-Metre High Hurdles
Training grounds: Miami, Florida
Ronald Forbes’ sterling list of credentials continues growing with no end in sight. He competes on the Florida International University Track and Field team in Miami, and has won title after title. The 2012 games will be his second, as the 27-year-old competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “What excites me the most is that the opportunities to elevate my career seem to be endless,” he says. “I know that many people never get to that level to compete in the Olympics, so I feel very fortunate and blessed.”
Why are you so passionate about track and field?
This sport forces you to be competitive and aggressive throughout all facets of your life — especially the hurdles. To me, they represent life. In order to keep moving forward, you simply have to conquer some obstacles.
Do you have any game-day rituals?
I say a quick prayer just before I leave to go to the track. And on the track I always glance at the clover tattoo on my right arm in memory of my brother, Reuben, knowing my efforts aren’t just for me alone. The night before I run, I gather every article of clothing I’m going to wear the next day (even my spikes) and say a very long prayer with them in my hands. I’ve done this all through my college. I always try to [play] a new song that has some form of inspirational meaning behind it just as I’m about to start warming up. I listen to rap/hip-hop: Lil’ Boosie, Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, 50 Cent.
How about any uncommon methods?
I check my heart rate and weight often to make sure I’m properly hydrated and well rested. I take ice baths often just to make sure my body recovers properly and performs at its best.
What do you usually eat?
I eat a blend of vegetables, including chives, broccoli, spinach, sprouts, carrots, green beans, watercress and thyme, all blended together in a food processor. I’m a big steak fan, too, [cooked] medium well.
Aside from training, what are your favourite hobbies?
I like to watch movies, hang out with friends and watch drag racing live in my free time. I’m not a big club fan or party animal.
What do you miss most now that you’re not at home in Grand Cayman?
My friends and family. It’s hard sometimes being away from them for long periods of time. I often go back home and have to play catch up on current events.
Name three things people may not know about you.
1. I am a complete car nerd. There isn’t anything else in the world that can put a smile on my face like a loud roaring engine and a car conversation.
2. Though I seem very quiet and constantly wear an angry face, I’m the complete opposite once you get to know me.
3. I often like to imitate other people’s voices.
Cydonie Mothersill
Sport: Track and Field
Age: 34
Hometown: George Town, Grand Cayman
Olympic event: 200 Metres
Training grounds: Miami, Florida
Ahead of the Olympics, one thing on Cydonie Mothersill’s mind is the weather. Will it be hot, rainy, warm or windy in London come game time? “At the end of the day, though, the weather will affect all athletes, so my focus on that is minimal,” she says. “What excites me will be the crowd in the stadium, that I am living my dream, and the possibility of once again being in the finals where anything can happen.”
What workouts do you dread?
My toughest workouts are always the distance runs with short recovery. In other words, the 500 or 400 repeats are always tough no matter how many times I do them.
Name three things people may not know about you.
1. Even though I am in the public eye, I am a very private person.
2. I am family oriented; I am involved in every aspect of my family’s lives, especially my three brothers.
3. I participated in my first Olympic games in 1996.
Do you have any game-day rituals?
My iPod is a must, and I always pray before warming up. I don’t wear anything that I would consider heavy.
What would your friends say about you?
I have a dry sense of humour. I thrive under pressure, especially when doing regular stuff. I am a last-minute person, but always get the job done. And that pressure excites me.
Cayman’s Super Hot Olympic Pin
At the London Olympics this summer, Caymanian athletes and coaches will be doing something in stadiums, locker rooms, cafeterias and buses that has little to do with competition. They will be trading their country’s pins with other participants from around the world as a sign of friendship and wearing them on their clothing or badges.
The Cayman Islands Olympic pins are a hot commodity as they stand out for their creativity and bright colours, says Cayman Olympic Committee President Donald McLean. “For the London games, the Cayman Islands’ pin is a sea turtle,” says McLean. “We chose the sea turtle because they are an integral part of Cayman’s maritime history. When these islands were first discovered by Columbus, they were called Las Tortugas, meaning ‘the turtles,’ because there were so many [turtles] in those days.”
Driving the demand for Cayman’s pins is that only four to six athletes from a population of some 50,000 qualify for the summer games, compared to countries like the U.S. or China that send hundreds of athletes. With such a limited number of athletes and coaches at each of the games, it drives up the collectibility factor of Cayman’s pins. Often, Caymanians are offered four or more pins in exchange for one Cayman pin.
Designed by graphic artist Jaime Doak, the sea turtle pins have been produced in the five colours of the Olympic rings, symbolising the five participating continents. In previous games, Cayman’s pins have featured the stingray and the blue iguana, a rare, endangered species that only exists in the Cayman Islands.
Cayman Islands Olympic Committee (CIOC)
Established in 1973, the CIOC was formed in order to serve and sponsor the amazingly talented athletes of the Cayman Islands. Together with the Cayman Islands Olympic Fundraising Committee (CIOFC), these two committees raise funds to cover our Olympic hopefuls’ financial needs. If you’d like more information on how to help our Islands’ fine athletes reach their Olympic goals, visit caymanolympic.org.ky.