After two days of travel, the Anguilla Amateur Swimming Association (AASA) swim team has arrived in Singapore, ready for the 2025 World Aquatics Masters Championships.
The four representatives spent their first day adjusting to the time zone and atmosphere of the bustling host city, which welcomed thousands of athletes from around the globe for the competition.
On 24 July, Anguilla’s swimmer Jonathan Irizarry – who will compete in the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke – dove into his first official training session at one of the designated training pools.
It allowed him to fine-tune his technique, focus on pacing strategies, and adapt to the world-class environment ahead of his debut race.
Team officials Tyrone Hughes, Laurie Connor and head coach Joseph William then attended the ‘Chat with Coaches’ workshop, themed, ‘Leading yourself first – Building a sustainable coaching career’.
The session focused on the importance of personal resilience and leadership for coaches, equipping them with strategies to better support athletes in high-performance settings.
In a press release from Anguilla Amateur Swimming Association (AASA) on 25 July, Hughes reflected: “Workshops like these remind us that great coaching begins with leading ourselves.
“If we are resilient and grounded, we can better inspire and guide our swimmers to reach their full potential.”
Connor added that hearing from international experts and other coaches was invaluable.
“It’s about growing not just as a coach, but as a mentor, so our athletes can benefit from the best practices worldwide,” she said.
With their first round of training and workshops complete, Team Anguilla is fully immersed in the championship atmosphere and eager to showcase their hard work, the press release said.
All eyes now turn to Irizarry’s first official race on 29 July when he will proudly represent Anguilla among thousands of elite swimmers on the global stage.
