The Cayman Islands did not compete when the CARIFTA franchise expanded in 2024 to include gymnastics as a separate sport – but that is set to change this year.
The debut of Cayman’s first-ever team at the CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships from 6-7 Dec. in Trinidad and Tobago marks a historic milestone for the sport locally.
Making up the team are gymnasts Scarlett Jasper, Skye Mungall, Kate Murphy, Sienna Chaloner, Lily McCarty, Siena Clemens-Orr and Kayla Beck.
All athletes are from Apex Gymnastics, however, Beck currently trains at a gym in Florida while away for school, but Apex is her home gym when she returns to Cayman.
The eighth member of the team, coach Madalina Gutu, also of Apex Gymnastics, has been working with the girls to prepare them for the competition.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to compete at this event. The gymnasts have been preparing their routines with strong determination and are thrilled to represent the Cayman Islands. This is a great opportunity for these young athletes to gain valuable experience on a bigger stage while proudly representing their country,” Gutu said.
The seven-member squad composed entirely of female gymnasts at skill levels one through six, will compete across all four apparatus – vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.
Toni Pinkerton, president of the Cayman Islands Gymnastics Association, expressed her excitement for this new milestone saying, “Following the strong results posted by gymnastics at the 2025 Island Games we are looking to establish a strong poll position at our first CARIFTA Games.”
Depending on their level, all the athletes have been training between six to 12 hours per week.
Level 6 athlete Siena Clemens-Orr highlighted, “Training for the competition has required a lot of commitment and hard work but has been very rewarding. I’m so excited to be a part of Cayman’s first CARIFTA gymnastics team, and I know it will be an excellent experience for all of us.”
Echoing this sense of pride and dedication is level 2’s Sienna Chaloner, who described her feelings about joining this historical team as “joyful and proud.”
She further detailed her intensive preparation saying, “I feel that I have been working hard on my routines and exercising my body to be fit to compete in December. Training has been hard as I have to nail my routines and practice a lot. I do many hours of gymnastics each week!”
While acknowledging the challenge, her primary goal is to “win a medal” and ultimately “make everyone proud, especially Coach Maddy!”.
