“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.  It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”

–Nelson Mandela

If you are a parent or student-athlete reader who is looking at a career in sport, Cal Blankendal is a person you should meet.  

In 2013 Cal started a company: Bermuda Sports Management Group – a “one-stop resource” to help the development of the island’s student-athletes.  Since 2017, he has been officially assisting students with scholarships; before that, he helped where he could. He also currently wears the hat of executive director of the Bermuda Cricket Board. A well-known former Bermuda Football Association vice-president, he has been involved in a sport at all levels all of his life.  Cal wishes to share his experience and believes he can help connect and benefit our student-athletes.

Bermuda Sports Management Group offers life-skills training, assists in securing overseas scholarships and finding employment after graduating.  Their Elite Student-Athlete programme was recently launched. Cal told us “our philosophy works on the training and individual development of the student-athlete”. He went on to say: “our focus is to provide the athlete with training; mentoring; professional career skills; assisting with the application process and the necessary tutoring or athletic development programs needed for that individual”.

The Bermuda Sports Management Group program believes development is continuous and that at each stage of a student-athlete’s physical, mental or technical cycle, he or she should be supported and given the opportunity to express their interest, commitment and talent in sport.  

BSMG’s elite student programme provides a path for M1 to S4 elite student athletes based on academic and athletic ability.  

Cal told us “Our goal is to support each Elite Student-Athlete to reach their full potential.  Preparation and access are half of the battle. We are able to help the athlete and put the parent in touch with the coaches overseas.  I see us as a resource to connect coaches from overseas with our athletes.”  

For more information, please contact Cal Blankendal on [email protected]

This article was published in the 2019 edition of the Rg Scholarships 

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 Ashley Yearwood: Shelley, the rower, Marlee, the scuba diver, world travelers, you both spend most of your time on/in the water, but [Marlee] many people wouldn’t classify scuba diving as a sport. Is it?

Marlee Cramm: It’sactually considered an extremesport, because of the equipment that’s used, and the high pressure. It’s not necessarily competitive like rowing. Scuba diving is just for yourself. You’re just focusing on the view, on your breathing, it’s very Zen, very meditative.

AY: Shelley, can you relate?

 Shelley Pearson: The Zen part of it, yeah. That’s an aspect that you find when you’re racing in a single boat (as opposed to a team boat). There are moments in a single when you’re out on a dead flat day. All you hear is the sound of the water under the boat, and you fall into a rhythm. At that point, you’re doing it for you. One other common thing between rowing and scuba diving is that women can excel at, it’s something that we can do well, and we can compete against men if we want to.

AY: For the women’s issue, that’s obviously what we want to talk about. First, can you tell us what “girlhood” is to you?

MC: I feel like [girlhood] is something very unique to a time. I’d say girlhood is fleeting, and precious and something I wasn’t aware of until I got much older.

SP:I agree with that. “Girlhood” makes me think back to a time when I didn’t know “being a girl” meant anything different from “being a boy”. I had a younger brother and I could do anything he could do, or better. At the time when adults are comparing “boyhood” vs. “girlhood”, kids are feeling equal. It’s an important concept to reflect on because there’s a lot more that talks to boyhood then what it means to be a young girl. You spend most of that time trying to find your way through.

AY: For me, swimming helped with that. It made me much more self-aware in my mind and my body as I started to grow up. Did sports play a role in moving from girlhood to womanhood?

MC: I remember I was about 13 when I stopped reading girl magazines. They were just so untrue, what they were wearing and how [the girls] were all the same shape. When I started working in dive gear, I realized that no one looked the same. That made me feel far more comfortable with my body. I definitely learned to look past the surface. That’s one of the best things about diving is that you can look any particular way, it doesn’t make you a better diver.

SP: Yeah, absolutely. I was always very tall, and rowing actually celebrates tall, strong girls –– everyone in that world is 5’8 and up. Also, I’ve been able to watch women in and out of the sport grow to be incredibly successful in their lives. It has shaped how I see myself in the world, and has given me confidence.

AY:Serena Williams once said, “I always felt like I had to be softer or apologize, kind of indirectly, for who I am. And I don’t know when it happened, but something changed.” What comes to mind when you hear that?

MC: I find that when I’m asking men to do something, I tend to say “please” a lot, when I should just be able to say, “Go and do this”. Turning 30 and having the experience of running the Women’s Dive Day for PADI in Bermuda gave me the courage to say, “No. I don’t have to be passive or apologetic for being a woman in charge.”

SP:There’s this horrible saying in my sport that says, “Rowing turns men into gods, and women into men”. When you’re in athletics at my level, you’re aggressive in a way that’s not necessarily considered “feminine”. Women in sport think more about the faces they make or the way their unisuits look, things that men don’t think about. When I hear [Serena’s] quote, I think about the physical aspect of sport, “Am I smiling and girly, or am I aggressive and an athlete?”

AY: Speaking of how you look when you’re doing your sport, since both of you wear water suits, have a look at this swim suit from 10 years ago, and one from now. What do you think?

 MC: Whoa, I think it’s a bit over kill, for me wearing a wetsuit is about comfort, something I can be in all day because it’s my work uniform. People wear ties to work, I wear a swimsuit. Diving is not pretty –– you come up and your hair is everywhere, you’ve probably got snot on your face. Trying to make a sport pretty for the sake of being a woman is just ridiculous.SP:  In rowing, unisuits aren’t flattering on anyone, but if young girls feel like they need to look pretty while they are working out, it takes away some ofthe raw naturalness of the sport. Sport is about giving it everything that you have. You don’t want to be thinking about what you look like while you’re giving it everything you have.

AY: It’s interesting, though, that men’s bathing suits haven’t changed in years; that people think more about what women should wear in sport versus men.

 SP: There’s been a general trend in women’s workout clothing in general, it’s become more of a way to look “sexy” while working out.

M: Why do we have to look sexy though, why is that pressure on us? I don’t think it’s women putting the pressure on each other.

S: It really should be about what’s practical.

AY: In thinking of all the experiences that you’ve had, being a woman, being a girl, being in sports, being out of sports, being in the world, what would you tell your younger self to get her through girlhood?

 MP:Don’t be scared to be confident. You don’t have to be soft and gentle to be a woman, and you have every right to be in charge. Be as strong as you can be, because a lot of young women are looking at you. Be that leader for them. You don’t have to stand behind a male instructor to be valuable. You are valuable.

SP:Definitely the “valuable” thing. I struggled for a long time as a young girl being so tall and so competitive and trying to fit in that I guess I would tell my younger self that “it’s okay. You will find the people who will bring out the best in you. It’s hard right now, it’s hard for everyone right now, but you will find your people. You just have to wait.”

 AY: I still feel like I’m a girl, so I wouldn’t be able to answer that question yet.

SP:My Olympics coach hated using the word “girl”. Society calls the men “men”, and us “girls”, and she would always say, “You are independent, confident women!” It’s interesting because in sports, the word “girl” is used a lot longer than “boys”, and it really shapes the way that you think about women’s sports.

MC: I don’t ever use the word “girl” in diving, I use “ladies”.

SP:I love that. I love “ladies”.

MC:Yeah, “Alright ladies, let’s go!”

AY: Well, thank you guys, women, ladies, for coming in and sharing your thoughts on girlhood and sport. You’ve been incredible.

This article was originally published in the Fall 2018 edition of RG Magazine.

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I have never kayaked in Bermuda, so I wanted to do so and learn a bit more about my home from a tourist perspective. We began by departing from Dockyard starting with a boat ride to our official departure location which was Ely’s Harbour. During the off season a mini bus is normally provided to avoid the refreshing splashes from the waves against the boat. Our tour guides were Ashley, Adrian and Josh all very knowledgeable and friendly individuals.

A quick stop to the northern point of the Bermuda Triangle, locally known as The Vixen, a boat which was once upon a time filled with prisoners who were later put to work. Currently the Vixen provides a lovely residence for greedy tenants that know to expect food when boats arrive to the area. Although the temptation to throw over a line comes to mind, fishing is not allowed.

Once we arrived at Ely’s Harbour I could not get my bearing’s from this perspective. I was completely turned around yet amazed by the landscape surrounding the harbour. The wind was not in my favor on this day however I was completely fine being left behind by the group! I wanted to give up, but instead I made more of an effort to catch up and hear interesting facts about Bermuda.

Here’s a fun fact: Thousands of the very tiny insects called the lady bird beetle, commonly known as the lady bug were brought to Bermuda to destroy the cedar scale insects that was killing the cedar trees. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful, and a high number of cedar trees died.

We paddled our way around the harbour, passing a well-kept dwelling on a private island fixed with anything you could possibly ask for. Straight ahead we made our way to the mangroves where turtles come to enjoy a fresh meal of sea grass. Not many were spotted on this day but in the warmer months more are known to visit the area.

Here’s another fun fact: It was once said that turtle eggs where brought to Bermuda from Puerto Rico with hopes to have more live in Bermuda waters. Unfortunately, this too was unsuccessful as once the eggs hatched the turtles made their way back to Puerto Rico. While on a roll with unsuccessful experiments, Bermuda’s weather temperatures were not taken into consideration as it only assisted in producing male turtles. The temperatures in Puerto Rico produce an even number of males and females.

While I tried to keep up with the group I was still fighting my hardest to avoid trees and rocks. I had no choice but to laugh at how pathetic my kayaking skills were! However, I quickly realized that I should have been stirring the kayak and not paddling my little heart out as the wind was now working in my favor!

Note to remember: When you change direction, the wind will make life a bit easier just be mindful of how you use your paddle.

Nevertheless, the tour guides found me amusing and we shared a moment in laughter as we made our way to the last stop called the Elephant Rock. I was able to see right away the reason behind the name as I saw a cluster of elephant heads in the rock formation. It was a two for one special as the opposite side of the rock formation showcased a cathedral. Pretty fascinating how the elements create such artistic formations.

We were on the home stretch and the sun was beginning to be a tad bit aggressive on my skin. Thankfully, we were given a moment to take a swim and cool down after an awesome upper body work out — quite refreshing if I do say so myself!

It was all aboard as we made our way back to Dockyard while consuming a complimentary glass of Rum Swizzle! While feeling like a tourist for three hours I was intrigued, learning new and refreshing information about Bermuda. Would I do it all again? Absolutely, only this time I’ll bring someone else to paddle me around.

* To book a kayaking adventure, simply log on to www.islandtourcentre.com and follow the instructions online. With a simple click, you can be scheduled for a tour in no time. Once the desired date is confirmed, print out your e-ticket for easy reference and arrive 15 minutes prior to the departure time as suggested. By doing so this provides enough time to check-in and sign any necessary waivers.

Deanna Williams – DWPerception is a landscape, architecture, portrait and fashion photographer, who thrives on fresh ideas and collaborative opportunities. Here’s the world from her perspective: www.dwperception.com

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