The Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) and other groups affiliated to the sport in the 1990s have been plunged into mourning over the death of one of the nation’s cherished swimmers Onika Davis.
Davis, who represented Guyana in several overseas events, died on September 27 and was laid to rest on Monday in her hometown of Kumaka, in the Upper Demerara area. Davis is said to have succumbed to a kidney related ailment. She leaves to mourn husband Mark DeNobrega and four children as well as her parents. Davis was born on May 12, 1979.
In an interview with Stabroek Sport Charles Corbin, who was GASA Secretary during the 1990s, said due to her childhood spent in Kumaka, Davis had an affinity for sport. He said it was events like the national swimming, cycling and athletics championships that brought her competence into the limelight.
According to Corbin, Davis was drafted into the GASA based on her performance at the nationals. She joined on the heels of the GASA being re-established in 1993 and played a major role in structuring swimming in Guyana. In 1995, she was part of the 17-member contingent at the inaugural Goodwill Games swim meet in Suriname; restarting.
Guyana’s participation in an overseas swim meet after a 15-year hiatus. Davis earned four silver medals from the 42-medal haul that Guyana raked in that year.
Corbin said Davis also held the title for the river swim which stretched from near the Stabroek Market to the Demerara Harbour Bridge, and she had represented Guyana at the Cross Harbour Swim in Trinidad. What he admired most about Davis however, was her swimming style. “She had the most fluent stroke in the freestyle that I had ever seen, she had a perfect flutter kick,” he recalled.
According to Corbin, with competitions for participants beyond the 15 – 17 category scarce in the 1990s, Davis simply “aged-out” of the sport after age 17. “Basically she aged out, because then there wasn’t competition beyond the 15 – 17 age category, so after people had reached 17 there was no other competitions and unless you were up there on the international scene there was nothing for you,” he said.
However, Davis said fondly, that he will always remember Davis as a good natured, smiling young lady who did much for swimming in Guyana.
