The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE quartet of Jessica and Poppy Profitt – who are sisters – Breanna Gayla and Leah Bethel made history as they became the first team ever to win a rowing medal for The Bahamas in an international event.

Their historic feat was achieved on Saturday, April 2 at the 48th Miami International Regatta in Biscayne Bay in the Women’s Varsity Quadruple scull crew were they earned a bronze medal to get on the podium.

The quartet, coached by Canadian national team coach Al Morrow, finished the 1,500 metre course in a time of 6:13.2 for a bronze medal finish behind Miami Beach RC (5:41.6) and Ransom Everglades (5:45.4); and well ahead of Hollywood RC (6:48.3).

Jessica and Poppy Proffitt, age 16 and 14 respectively, are both students of Lyford Cay International School and Gayle and Bethel, both 16-year-olds of Genesis Academy, were a part of a 10-member team that represented The Bahamas at the competition.

Gayla represented The Bahamas previously at the Junior Pan American Games in December, 2021, and Jessica Profitt competed for the NRC at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the world’s largest rowing event, in October, 2021.

According to Kyle Chea, the president of the NRC, all crews from the Bahamas rowed valiantly in their first sprint race since the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that Gayla also narrowly missed a podium finish in the women’s lightweight varsity singles sculls, getting fourth behind North Palm Beach Rowing Club’s Gabriella Childers by two seconds after her boat overlapped with the rower just ahead of her.

First and second place finishers came from the host Miami Rowing Club.

The NRC’s six crews were among 18 clubs and more than 350 crews from around South Florida with more than 3,000 spectators on Key Biscayne.

“This is the first medal that we have ever won by any team from The Bahamas in any rowing event,” Chea said. “So it’s pretty exciting for us.

“These four girls have been training with the club for the past four years, some as little as two years. I think it was a fantastic performance from them.”

In other results, Jessica Profitt got third in the women’s varsity scull in heat two in 6:13.158; David Roy placed fourth in heat three of the men’s varsity scull in 5:32.387; Ellery Cartwright was fifth in the men’s varsity single in heat two in 7:39.360; Leah Bethel and Eva Lily Worboys paired up in the women’s freshman doubles in heat three for fourth place in 7:39.441 and Roy and Harper Romer combined for fifth in the men’s freshman doubles in 6:22.405.

Chea, who accompanied head coach Morrow and assistant coaches Dan Bechard and Beatrise Bethel, said the NRC was very pleased with all of the performances at the regatta, which was held for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic.

“With the six crew that we sent, that was the most were sent to any regatta anywhere,” Chea pointed out. “So despite not competing since 2019, I think they are performed very well.”

Nassau RC’s will now prepare for their next regatta in a dual meet with the rowing squad at the Windsor School, coached by three-time Olympian and silver medallist Rob Gibson.

Both programmes, according to Chea, will field the “best of the best” from their programmes in single sculls, double sculls, and coxed fours in both men’s and women’s categories.

The Nassau RC members will continue to work out daily from 4:30 to 6:30 pm on Lake Cunningham, while they occupy space on Oak Hill Road where their boats are stationed.