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Team Guernsey and Utmost have been marking a ten year relationship, as we approach the 100-day count down to the 2023 Island Games.
With 108 days to go until the Games get underway in Guernsey, local and visiting athletes are deep into their training schedules, while team managers and organisers are busy finalising travel and accommodation plans.
Brian Allen, Chairman of the Guernsey Island Games Association was at Utmost's offices in St Peter Port yesterday to see a new display showcasing the athletes who will be competing this summer.
"After 2021 we were very disappointed but it was an inevitability, but now we're here it's quite amazing how quickly it's all going by and how much has actually been done and how much is still to do. It's getting so exciting and everybody's getting on tenterhooks," he said.
Pictured: Team Guernsey ahead of the last Island Games in Gibraltar in 2019.
Thanking Utmost for their support he said: "They've been an amazing sponsor and have looked after us for ten years, at all of the Games, giving us kit and bursaries which have been ongoing for the ten years with them giving the sports money for development. That's been wonderful.
"The bursaries are very important for training and for helping with transport because so many sports have to go off island to get that level of competition that's needed to compete at this level, because just island sport is not enough, it's that level above island sport that the Island Games is."
Leon Steyn CEO of Utmost International Guernsey said the firm's involvement with the Games fits with its overall ethos.
"We've always been in the life and health business and we've enjoyed supporting sport. We support it at both the high end side and also to include most people. We have the utmost sports day once a year to include the youngsters and getting them involved in sport. We try to do something for a variety of ages and this is great that for ten years now we've been supporting the Utmost Guernsey team in Guernsey which is fantastic."
Mr Steyn said that his Guernsey staff will be spectating and volunteering at the Games and they may have conflict over who to support at some events.
"We've got colleagues in the Isle of Man who will be coming down to compete so it's quite nice to see colleagues from our other offices in the Utmost group and then everyone around them in the Utmost group will be supporting and volunteering...maybe if they're competing against Jersey we'll support them!"
Pictured: The Utmost office on Hirzel Street has images of Island Games athletes along the length of it.
Jemima Green and Ross Yeates are on the Guernsey swimming squad for the Games, with Jemima having been in training since prior to the scheduled '21 Games, and Ross resuming his competitive swimming schedule to make the Guernsey team after turning 40.
Both are excited for the upcoming Games and were at Utmost in Hirzel Street to see the new photographic display.
Jemima said "it's been a very long process for me, four years probably altogether. It was disappointing that we couldn't swim in 2021 but at the end of the day I've become so much stronger in the last two years that I think it will have benefited me in the future. I'm just excited to get on with it now.
"This will be my first Games which makes it even more exciting that it's going to be in Guernsey because hearing the home crowd behind me will be really exciting and all my family will be here."
Ross is swimming at his sixth Games having taken a break from competitive swimming.
"It was turning 40 this year, it was motivation - what can I do for my 40th? I've always had a history with swimming. My first (Games) was 2001, then I did the Guernsey Games last time as well. I know how amazing it was, the atmosphere...and I keep telling these guys they'll really enjoy it. That was my motivation.
"I played football as well but I've always loved my swimming so it was a chance to get back into it and see how it progressed and thankfully I've made the team."
Brian said he is looking forward to watching both compete in the pool saying the atmosphere as a spectator is always "electric".
"The format with the swimming is heats in the morning so they compete from 09:00 until 11:00, and every day there are the finals in those events that evening with the medal ceremonies so it's an actual fine with a medal ceremony and when you think we've got 200 or so competitors but all the spectators in that small area fighting for those medals it gets very noisy."
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