Clashing, Christal
Christal Clashing is a pioneer in aquatic spaces in her home country of Antigua and Barbuda. In 2004, at the age of 14, she became the first female swimmer to represent her country at the Olympic Games in Athens. She later joined Team Antigua Island Girls to become the first all-black team and first all-female Caribbean team to row any ocean when they crossed the Atlantic in 2018/2019. She has since taken up freediving and hopes to establish a national record in her country.
Being involved in swimming at an early age, she found a passion for sport and studied Sports Development at the University of Portsmouth in the UK under a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. She also secured a studentship at the same university to complete her Masters by Research in Science.
She is a certified ASCA swim coach, ACA stand-up paddle instructor and PADI divemaster who has honed her skills across the five countries she’s lived in – Antigua, The Bahamas, Australia, England and Costa Rica. As an adventure guide and travel writer, she brings an international perspective to the engagement of outdoor and aquatic adventure sport.
