Bovell pays tribute to parents

Having emerged as Trinidad and Tobago’s most decorated swimmer with four Pan-American Games medals including gold in the 200 metres Freestyle and 200 metres Individual Medley, George Bovell III has his eyes firmly set on next year’s Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. At the just concluded Pan-Am Games held in the Dominican Republic, Bovell showcased his undoubted swimming prowess by winning his pet event, the 200 IM in a new record time of one  minute, 59.49 secs. The 20-year-old United States-based Auburn University student made good on his promise to reclaim the Commonwealth 200 IM record from the legendary Australian Ian “Thorpedo” Thorpe who collected the silver at the World Swimming Championships held at Barcelona, Spain earlier this month. Thorpe posted 1: 59.56.

Bovell also collected two silver medals in the 100 metres freestyle and the 100 metres backstroke at the Pan Am Games. With the four medals, he achieved what no other Trinidadian has done in the 52-year-old of competing at the quadrennial Hemispheric Championships which bring together the top athletes from the North, Central and South American countries and Caribbean-island nations. It’s the highest level sporting competition in the Western Hemisphere and is only outranked by the Olympics and World Championships of the respective disciplines. These are heady times for the youthful and multi-talented Bovell. He was serenaded and paraded throughout the capital city of Port-of-Spain, all along the western peninsula to Diego Martin and then the East-West corridor to the eastern borough of Arima on Friday last.

The day before, he was felicitated and honoured by his local club- Piranha Aquatics —- whose officials decided to name their proposed five-acre swimming complex at the Powder Magazine, Cocorite in his honour and in remembrance of his magnificent achievements at the Pan-Am Games. All these celebrations, however significant they may appear to be, will become a passing phase for this ambitious and dedicated sportsman whose major goals are to become the best in his chosen discipline and to strive for greater glory for Trinidad and Tobago at the highest levels — World Short Course Championships, World Swimming Championships and the Olympics. But Bovell had to endure too much hardship and undergo tremendous sacrifices to achieve so much in his youthful career, which has seen him establish over forty national age group and regional swimming records. Had it not been for the enormous financial and other sacrifices borne by his parents George Bovell II (dad) and Barbara Bovell (mother), Trinidadians would not have been able to witness, celebrate and be energised by his amazing feats in the swimming pool.

Both his parents are very good swimmers but it was mother Barbara who introduced him to swimming at his grandmother’s (Margaret Peggy Bovell) pool in Arima before he had celebrated his seventh birthday. He recognisies the roles his parents paid in his life and pays tribute to them. “Without the support and enormous sacrifices — financial and otherwise — by my parents, both my dad and my mum, I would not have reached this far and achieved my goals. They have made tremendous sacrifices and I really appreciate what they have done in my life. They have given the strength and the discipline as well as the motivation to keep striving for excellence. I can’t ask for more from them. They have been a blessing for me and have been there for me all the way,” Bovell said. As a youngster, he played cricket, football and tennis but he eventually dedicated more time to become a better swimmer.” During my childhood days, I played cricket, football and tennis but I just loved being in the pool. Gradually, my mother got me to do the right things in becoming a better swimmer. That’s how my swimming career started and I practiced regularly,” he said. From his grandmother’s pool, the youngster was taken by his father to the Marlins Swim club where he frolicked and had fun in the water before he was switched to the care and guidance of former national coach Hayden Newallo who was the man responsible for chartering and laying the foundation for his successful competitive swimming career.

He spent ten years at the Flying Fish club and developed all the various strokes and relevant techniques which today makes him one of the top swimmers in the world. Describing the ten years spent with Newallo at the Flying Fish pool, Maraval, Bovell said Newallo is a very good development coach. “He emphasised on developing the correct stroke technique and had us working out regularly. He is strong on getting it right. And during those years I developed into a good all-round swimmer, mastering the different styles. Both my parents shared the task of taking me to the pool for early morning practice as well as for the afternoon or evening sessions.” Bovell created waves at the Carifta Games and CCAN Championships, breaking age group after age group records on his way to becoming the greatest swimmer from the twin-island republic and probably the greatest in the Caribbean.