Mana Resort Preps For Event

About 50 swimmers from Australia will participate in this year’s Mana Ocean Swim in a bid to raise awareness about the need for Fijian children to learn how to swim and handle themselves in the water.
“We try and create awareness on the swim in Fiji due to the number of drowning accidents each year,” said Mana Island Resort & Spa general manager Patrick Wong.
“Whilst we are open to all swimmers, our target in particular is the children of Fiji.
“This year the event clashed with the nationals in Suva, so the kids of the different swim clubs were unable to attend.
“However, we still have 35 local adult swimmers participating from the different clubs around the country.”
The Mana Ocean swim will begin on Thursday with the 10km solo and relay races, competitors will rest Friday before competing in the 5km, 3km, 1km and 500m fun race.
Mr Wong said the event was supported by an international body based in Australia called oceanswims.com.
“The organisers are Paul Ellercamp and Sueanne Hunt and they bring along a strong contingent of 50 swimmers from Australia to compete with the locals.
“Mana Island Resort & Spa is very well appointed for these types of swims given we have two long beaches. If the conditions are windy from the north, we have the ability to move the event to the south – an option many resorts don’t have.”
Mr Wong added that there were plans to bring in internationally renowned swimmers who could use the Mana Ocean Swim to prepare for bigger ocean swim events.
“We are currently talking to the organizers to bring in the Grimsey brothers next year to our event. Trent and Cody Grimsey hold the world record for crossing the English Channel in the fastest time so their presence here will add to the excitement.
“They run a very successful ocean swim clinic in Brisbane and we think it will be beneficial to the swimmers to have people of their calibre at the Mana Ocean Swim.”
The Mana Island GM said with out the support of sponsors, the ocean swim would not have been possible for the past eight years.
“We are really grateful to Westpac Bank, Vodafone, Punja’s, Blue Gas, Natural Waters of Fiji, Paradise Beverages, Coca Cola, Tebara Halal Meats, Tappoos, Pure Fiji, Smart Chef, Redbrick Laundry, P Meghji, Vinod Patel, Viti Bure Builders, J Kevi Group and all the others who support us.
“We also hire local buses to transport the competitors to Suva and back and we hire local boats during the event itself.
“We also engage Dave Dickinson of Viti Water Sports and Ian Muller from the Fiji Surf Company to run the event for us.”
 
(Source: The Fiji Times ONLINE Business 26 October 2017)