To Dream is to Win: Sandals Resorts Sponsors the 2022 Jamaica Bobsleigh Team

Sandals backs Team Jamaica, wishes 'cool runnings' as they inspire generations of athletes to come

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Feb 01, 2022, 09:00 ET

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Feb. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandals Resorts International is proud to announce its sponsorship of the 2022 Jamaica Bobsleigh Team, as six fierce competitors gear up to compete this month on the world's most coveted stage for sports. Among the highlights is a four-man team comeback 24 years in the making, with Sandals, too, sponsoring 1998's qualifying team.

Sandals Resorts Sponsors the 2022 Jamaica Bobsleigh Team; Photo credit: International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation

"Sandals has always been a champion for our national athletes as we continue our legacy to support young competitors who aspire to represent our beloved home country locally and on the world stage," said Sandals Resorts Executive Chairman Adam Stewart. "We beam with pride seeing our beautiful flag waving high, showing the world that Jamaica is not only a nation of dreamers, but doers – and that truly anything is possible when heart and hard work come together. The story of Jamaican bobsleighing is simply incredible and we are along for the long ride, cheering on this extraordinary team as they compete in this winter's events and then pass down the torch for generations to come."

Founded in Montego Bay, Sandals Resorts is a long supporter of athletes in training in Jamaica and across the Caribbean through the work of the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts. Sandals' support of the 2022 Jamaica Bobsleigh Team will cover the substantial logistics and travel costs required to send qualifying athletes to Beijing, as well as the additional bobsleigh events leading up to the 2023 world championship event. The team consists of pilot Shanwayne Stephens, push athletes Matthew Wepke and Rolando Reid, and brakemen Ashley Watson and Nimroy Turgott. Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian is also representing Team Jamaica this year in a new women's monobob event.

The team is led by team manager Nelson Christian "Chris" Stokes, who has been an active member of the Jamaica Bobsleigh Team since its inception in 1988, and was part of the Olympic team who inspired the ever-popular 1993 film Cool Runnings. For Stokes, who also serves as President and Chairman of the Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation, Sandals' sponsorship is a full-circle moment, having started out as a Sandals Resorts team member at Sandals Montego Bay in the mid 80s.

"Our return to the world stage is an incredible win in itself and now Sandals Resorts has carried us over the finish line, allowing our team to put their focus on what they do best: bringing the Caribbean heat," said Stokes. "We are also laying the groundwork for the future, as opportunities such as this one come with the responsibility of helping to 'pilot' a new generation of bobsleighers, and Sandals is the perfect partner for this on and off the track."

Upon their return to Jamaica, Stokes and the athletes will join forces with the Sandals Foundation to plan a number of long-term initiatives geared towards grooming the next generation of athletes. These will include visits to local schools to host motivational speaking engagements, organizing athletic training clinics, nutrition workshops with resort chefs, and more. Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts guests can also look forward to special meet and greets with Bobsleigh team members.

"There is a beautiful alignment between what Jamaican bobsledding has done and what Sandals has done in Jamaica for 40 years, and we will remain closely aligned as we work together towards a bright future for young athletes," said Stokes.

Sandals® Resorts:
Sandals® Resorts offers two people in love the most romantic, Luxury Included® vacation experience in the Caribbean. With 15 stunning beachfront settings in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, and a 16^thlocation coming to Curacao Spring 2022, Sandals Resorts offers more quality inclusions than any other resort company on the planet. Signature Love Nest Butler Suites® for the ultimate in privacy and service; butlers trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers; the Red Lane Spa®; 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining, ensuring top-shelf liquor, premium wines, and gourmet specialty restaurants; Aqua Centers with expert PADI® certification and training; fast Wi-Fi from beach to bedroom and Sandals Customizable Weddings are all Sandals Resorts exclusives. Sandals Resorts guarantees guests peace of mind from arrival to departure with the Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness, the company's enhanced health and safety measures designed to give guests the utmost confidence when vacationing in the Caribbean. Sandals Resorts is part of family-owned Sandals Resorts International (SRI), founded by the late Gordon "Butch" Stewart, which includes Beaches Resorts and is the Caribbean's leading all-inclusive resort company. For more information about the Sandals Resorts Luxury Included® difference, visit www.sandals.com.