The Tribune

THE 2012 Great Abaco Family Fitness Weekend was considered a smashing success by all concerned. The event, which took place March 23-25, saw competitors from across the nation and as far away as the UK, Canada and the United States take part. The first event, a one mile open water swim in the serene waters off Treasure Cay Beach, started on Friday at 5pm. Seven competitors from Abaco and the UK, participated. The winner, with a time of 24:07, was Peter Wagner of Nassau, who decided five minutes before the start to join the race. Gina Wilcox, a Treasure Cay second-home owner from the UK, won the women's division. She is associated with an open water swim club in the UK and was very impressed with the event. The main events of the weekend, the triathlons, started early Saturday morning. At 7.30am the gun went off and the swimmers again entered the waters off Treasure Cay Beach. The "Olympic" competitors swam 1,500m, biked 40 km and ran 10km. Greg Lowe of Nassau won the event with a time of 2:53:25, with Peter Wagner and Carlo Chee-A-Tow taking second and third place. The "Sprint" participants swam 500m, biked 20km, and ran 5km. Dave Hill from Marsh Harbour won the men's division in 1:14:33, followed by Brent Cartwright and Dorian Roach. Vicki Stafford of Freeport won the women's division in 1:22:23, followed by Judy Albury and Judith Smith. Two relay teams competed in the events. The men's team from Nassau consisting of Adam Isaac, Rob Rothwell, and Phil Cumming completed the Olympic distance in 2:39:01. The all women's team of Lindsey McCoy, Nakia Wong, and Kristin Williams finished the Sprint distance in 1:36:53. The final event of the day was one of the most entertaining: a children's one-mile fun run. The youngsters each received an event shirt and finisher's medal, to commemorate their first race. The day's events ended with a Bahamian style dinner at the Coco Beach Bar and Grill, where awards and prizes were handed out. The final day of racing on Sunday consisted of a 5k/10k fun run/walk. Many competitors were preregistered and many more signed up during the weekend's festivities. In total almost 50 people competed. The race started promptly at 8am. The first finisher was the male 5k winner, Justin Fureich, a 15-year-old from Monticello, Illinois, with a time of 20:41. Rob Rothwell and Jeff Centerino finished the 5k in second and third. The first woman was Allie Centerino of St Louis, Missouri. The 13 year old completed the 5k (3.1 miles) in 24:48, followed by Layna Cartwright and Leazona Richard. The 10k (6.2 miles) run was a close finish, with Adrian Whylly of Marsh Harbour, 19, edging out Greg Lowe (57, Olympic triathlon winner) of Nassau. Whylly finished in 48:59, with Lowe four seconds behind, and Phil Cumming finishing in third. The women's division had an even more exciting finish, with two seconds dividing first and second. Stacy Jandreau of Caribou, Maine finished first in 56:56 and Vicki Stafford, the Sprint triathlon winner, finished in 56:58, followed in third by Heather Moore of Little Harbour, Abaco. Organisers of the event said in a statement: "The Great Abaco Family Fitness Weekend would not have happened without the fantastic support of Treasure Cay, the Ministry of Tourism, Damianos Realty, the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board, and many other sponsors. "The volunteer turnout and support from the community was very appreciated by the organisation. "The Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Treasure Cay Fire Department provided support throughout the event and allowed for a safe, fun-filled weekend. "Treasure Cay was well received as the host of the event, with the competitors raving about the beautiful beach and swim waters, the smooth, fast Abaco roads, and the great run within the Treasure Cay boundaries. "The inaugural Great Abaco Family Fitness Weekend event was a great success benefiting both the Rotary Club of Abaco and Friends of the Environment. The 2013 event dates will be announced soon."