A considerably large representation of the just-ended Festival Del Mar event was back at Island Harbour Bay on Sunday, April 28, for the annual Jamida Webster Memorial Bicycle Race, and the Karle T. Smith B-class Boat Race.
The cycle race, now in its 16th year, commemorates the sporting life and passing of Jamida who was brutally killed while cycling in the Mount Fortune area on March 13, 2003. The young cyclist and basketball player, then making 16, was at the time preparing for the Sports Day cycling race at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School and was expected to perform very well.
This year’s cycle race attracted senior and junior riders from Anguilla and French and Dutch St. Martin/St. Maarten and one cyclist from Antigua, who won the race. The event was supervised by the Anguilla Cycling Association. The main overseer and commentator, Mr. Derek Carty, spoke about his involvement and the cycling event.
“The reason for my involvement is that one has to give back to the community whether in terms of financing or just giving your time and energy to something worthwhile,” he stated. “Cycling and youth development are some of my passions so anything I can do to facilitate the same I am always willing to assist. This is my 20th year dealing with cycling, and every year I want to retire but persons would work me back in. So if it is a unanimous decision among them, I guess I have no choice but to lend my services.”
He continued: “Jamida Webster was a young lady who was tragically taken from this world. The memorial race is a lot of work. We had different cycling groups – the Elite, Masters, Juniors, women cyclists and various other youngsters including the BMX riders. The cyclist from Antigua (Sean Weathered) rode in Antigua in a race there the day before, and flew down to Anguilla to participate in the Jamida Memorial Bicycle Race and was the winner in the Elite category. He has stated that he is warming up for the John T. Cycle race in Anguilla shortly. We are expecting to see a lot of Anguillians coming out to lend their support for this race.”
Jamida’s parents, Kent Webster and Iris Hughes, who fondly remember their daughter, but with much pain, are grateful to all persons in Anguilla, including the Cycling Association, sponsors and others, for their kind assistance and involvement in the memorial race.
Meanwhile, spectators at the event were also treated with the Karle T. Smith B-class Boat Race. Now deceased, Karle was a well-known builder on the island with a number of private sector buildings, including villas, to his credit. He was also a vivid racing boat supporter.
