Children ensured clean water, education and a chance for a better future
Nic Wilson (main photo) races
home under stormy skies, wining the 3.5 km swim across Pattaya Bay.
10-year-old Erika Heltne (left) won the short fun swim, whilst Aleksei
Balykov (right) won the 1.3 km intermediate swim. The true winners, however,
are the children as proceeds from the event will go to ensure clean water,
education and a chance for a better future for those less fortunate in our
community.
Paul Strachan
The overcast skies above Pattaya were a welcome sight for
the swimmers and organizers of the 8th Rotary Charity Pattaya Cross Bay swim
held on Sunday, March 25.
The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya usually holds this
event towards the end of the year; however, the floods that devastated
Thailand last year meant that they focused their attention in helping the
flood victims.
President Gudmund Eiksund
makes his report to the swimmers and guests, before declaring the
commencement of Rotary Charity Cross Bay Swim 2012.
So with only a few weeks in the planning, the club along
with the swimmers gathered at the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya for the official
opening ceremony.
The club’s president, Gudmund Eiksund officially opened
the event with a short speech, followed by Past District Governor Peter
Malhotra and Radchada Chomjinda, director of the Human Help Network
Foundation Thailand.
This year’s event consisted of three races; the first was
a fun race from the Hard Rock along to Chaba Beach at Dusit Thani.
This category was made for those who wanted to
participate but not really compete.
The police were on hand to ensure that the traffic was
managed to allow the swimmers and spectators to cross Beach Road safely, and
as the whistle blew the sea rescue team was a safe distance away on paddle
boards and jet skis to make sure the swimmers were all okay.
Philip Wall Morris and PP
Brendan Kelly, without whom the event would not have been possible.
The winner of this heat was 10-year-old Erika Heltne,
followed by 12-year-old Ratchaphol Nantanakarn in second place and Vasavan
Thititamornrat in third place who is also 12 years old.
All the swimmers were presented with a medal, souvenir
t-shirt and organizers made sure that they had plenty of water to drink.
Rachada Chomjinda is thrilled
that ‘her children’ were able to participate in the charity swim.
Back at the Hard Rock, swimmers were getting ready for
the 1.3km swim. In this category the swimmers had to swim out past the buoy
that marks the safe swim zones along Pattaya Beach, then make their way to
the beach at the Dusit.
A 38-year-old Russian man named Aleksei Balykov came in
first with a winning time of 18 minutes and forty seconds, and just under
two minutes later was 14-year-old Liam Samuels, closely followed by
37-year-old Mark Lunev. The first female was Mark’s wife, Natalia, with a
time of just 20 minutes and fifty seconds.
By now the other more competitive swimmers were receiving
a briefing way over on the other side of the bay near the sea rescue unit
close to Bali Hai pier, as they got ready to navigate the 3.5 km swim across
Pattaya Bay to the beach at the Dusit.
The skies that had been overcast all morning started to
darken and a few specks of rain were starting to blow through.
This didn’t deter the twenty or so swimmers who set off
with much gusto, and back at the beach at the Dusit all the spectators were
keeping a keen eye on the sea rescue teams who were traveling along beside
the swimmers.
The first swimmer was soon in sight and with a winning
time of 42 minutes and 11 seconds, five times winner Nic Wilson ran up onto
the beach claiming victory.
Nic is a swimming coach at Pattana International School
in Bangkok and it was one of his students, 15-year-old Luc Gebbie who came
in second, a mere 50 seconds behind his tutor.
In third place was Adounis Cedolin at 58 minutes and 27
seconds and in the ladies category were Hannah Way in first place coming in
at just over one hour followed by Kristina Solheim, then Alena Vigada and
Nook Buranasiri.
With over a dozen swimmers still out in the water the sea
rescuers offered to take them on board as by now there were rumblings of
thunder and the waves were getting high. However, the majority decided to
continue and finish the race, safe in the knowledge that the sea rescue team
was keeping a close eye on them.
Once everybody was back on dry land and accounted for
they were treated to lunch at the Dusit whilst the administrators complied
the winning places and others enjoyed the ice cold beer sponsored by
Paulaner Bier.
Paulaner was one of the many sponsors for the event.
Others included Thai Airways International, Securitas, Pattaya Mail, Dusit
Thani Pattaya, Dusit d2 Baraquda, Hard Rock Hotel, CEA Projects Norwegian
Properties Group, The Tulip Group and Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.
The event was also given the full support of City Hall,
Pattaya Sea Rescue Unit, Sawang Boriboon Thamasathan Foundation and the
Pattaya Tourist Volunteers.
Then it was the matter of the prize giving where the
trophies were awarded and thanks given to all the sponsors and those who had
helped make this a special day, one that raises funds to support the clean
drinking water and many other humanitarian projects across the province.
Well done Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya! A special
mention must be made of Brendan Kelly and Phillip Wall Morris, the dynamic
duo who worked with the same focus to create fun events that people of all
ages can participate in and raise money for charity at the same time.
There was heart pounding
action during all the 3 swim events.
The beaches of the Hard Rock
and the Dusit Thani Pattaya were buzzing with activity throughout the day.
Swimmers young and older were
cheered on to the finish line where they received their medals, a dry towel
and a cold drink.
PDG Peter Malhotra and
Pol.Lt.Col. Jirawat Sukonthasap, Head of the City Hall Security & Safety
Services, discuss the precautionary measures taken to ensure the safety of
swimmers and guests both on and off shore.
Graham Hunt-Crowley presents
the Men’s Champion Trophy (3.5 km) to Nic Wilson.
Hannah Way, the Women’s
Champion (3.5 km) receives her trophy from Martin Brands.
Natalia Lunev was first in the
1.3 km event.
(l-r) Aleksei Balykov, Liam
Samuels and Mark Lunev are winners in men’s division of the 1.3 km race.
Proudly holding their
trophies are (l-r) Mark Lunev, Natalia Lunev, Hannah Way, Kristina Solheim,
Liam Samuels, Aleksei Balykov, Adounis Cedolin, Nic Wilson, Alena Vigada,
Nook Buranasiri and Luc Gebbie, with Ken Whitty (far right) our generous
sponsor ‘Paulaner’.
Congratulations are in order
for President Gudmund Eiksund (front centre) and his team of hard working
volunteers including Rotarians, family, friends and staff that helped make
the charity event a huge success.