Sapphire is a swimming gem
Saint Lucia missed out on the 2025 OECS Swimming Championship title, once again outpaced by Grenada, but four of its swimmers still stole the spotlight, each clinching high point trophies in their divisions. Leading the charge was a dominant Sapphire Parks, competing for the fourth time and her first as an Under-13.
Parks, a Form 1 student at St Joseph’s Convent, and an alumna of The Montessori Centre, grabbed ten gold medals and a silver en route to 97 points on November 9 at the Shrewsbury Aquatic Centre in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Second was SVG’s Belle Adams, who is of Saint Lucian parentage, 33 points adrift.
Even more impressively, Parks added two more OECS records to her collection, which now numbers ten. She set new sub-regional marks for the 50m and 100m backstroke, dropping more than a second from the previous best time in the latter race. She also holds seven records in the 9–10 division, and should be even more dominant next year.
Parks’ progression at the OECS level is no surprise, given what she achieved earlier this year during her debut at the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships, where she was the youngest member of Team Saint Lucia.
At Trinidad and Tobago’s National Aquatics Centre in Couva, she secured four gold medals and eight overall, winning her the high point trophy for her division. She seems poised to be a major star for Saint Lucia at next year’s CARIFTA meet in Martinique.
Parks has come a long way from finishing second in the Under-9 class at the OECS meet in 2022, although she tipped her hand with a first meet record in the 100m individual medley. She won the 9–10 division two years in a row and was undefeated last year.
For sure, the three-time OECS champion and first-time CARIFTA champion isn’t resting on her laurels. And she is remarkably well-rounded. She tries to be good at anything she does, whether sports, academics, or otherwise. Right after CARIFTA this year, she went straight into studying for her CPEA (Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment) exams. She placed third in District 1, and fifth overall for Saint Lucia.
Young Parks is also an excellent track athlete, winning multiple medals for TMC and District 1. But swimming, her first love, takes up most of her time and attention. When she’s not in the pool, she’s just a regular girl who loves animals, especially dogs. Outside of sports, her goal is to become a marine biologist. She also loves playing Roblox with her friends.
Long term, Parks has her eyes set on representing Saint Lucia at the Olympics, following in the footsteps of 100m track champion Julien Alfred and swimmers like Danielle Beaubrun and Mikaili Charlemagne. She is also keen to qualify for international meets like the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Pan Am Games.
A member of Sea Jays Legends Swim Club, Parks intends to develop her swimming career overseas. Her mother, Denise, has begun exploring options for prep schools that will take the rising star to the next level. For a young athlete who loves a challenge, it will be all about finding the right coaching and competitive situation.
