Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, Labour and Employment Services and Member of Parliament, Hon. Kyle Knowles met with TCAAA athletes Tanesia Gardiner, Rayvon Walkin and Antwon Walkin, along with TCI Swimming Federation athletes Tajhari Williams. Mateo Gardiner, Lennon Hamilton Jr. and Jayden Davis on Thursday, July 22, 2021, at the Sports Commission’s office in Downtown Providenciales.
The meeting was held to allow Hon. Taylor the opportunity to personally congratulate the athletes on their most recent achievements and to give the athletes a platform to voice their concerns and vision for the future of sports in the Turks and Caicos.
National Under 17 Male record holder for Shot Put Antwon Walkin, was not bashful in expressing himself, acting as a spokesperson for the group of young athletes who at the onset, were a bit timid. Antwon said that one of the major concerns that Track and Field athletes have is the state of the facility they used to train. Walkin’s concern was met with assurance by Director of Sports Mr. Jarrett Forbes, that renovations of the National Stadium would begin soon and that all points raised in the meeting would be taken into consideration as the renovation progresses.
Swim athletes unanimously agreed that their major concern was the lack of an international competition standard swimming pool. To which Hon. Rachel Taylor responded, “We will build you a pool. It’s not going to happen over night but we’re committed to ensuring that you have the proper facilities to realise your full potential.”
As the meeting progressed, athletes became more vocal and made requests for more opportunities to compete. Both Hon. Taylor and Hon. Knowles expressed their admiration for the way in which the athletes advocated for their individual sport, given how young they are.
Antwon Walkin, Tanesia Gardiner and Rayvon Walkin recently competed at the NACAC Under 18 & Under 23 Championships with Tanesia and Antwon placing 3rd in their respective events. The TCI Swim team, competed at CCCAN in Puerto Rico in June. Tajhari Williams brought back the country’s first ever medal from the event with a bronze in the 1500m freestyle race. His teammates made the finals in their respective races breaking their personal best records.
