Phillip, Francois dominate CariFin Savannah 1 Lap

Team Republic Bank's Abijah Phillip and Kadesha Charles won the men's and women's divisions at the CariFin Games' 1 Lap Savannah race, held at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain recently.

Over 500 participants competed including representatives from Central Bank of TT, Republic Bank, Sagicor, Scotiabank, Unit Trust Corporation, Maritime Financial, and JMMB.

Phillip, a two-time overall champion, dominated the race, crossing the finish line first with a time of 17 minutes and seven seconds. Team Scotiabank's Clinton Williams and Shay Gonzales, who were participating in the Games for the first time, finished in second and third place, in 17:25 and 17:32, respectively.

Adona Francois from Team Sagicor was the first female runner to cross the finish line with a time of 21.22. In second place was Lorraine Ayoung-Chee from Team CBTT in 21:54 and Delicia Sylvester of RBL in 22.55 following in third. In 4th and 5th place were Leigh-Ann Benjamin-Campbell of UTC and Kelly Kurbanali of team RBL, crossing the line in 23.05 and 23.22, respectively.

In the women's walking category, Kadesha Charles from Team Republic Bank cemented her first-place status with a time of 32:20, placing fifth overall in that division.

Brian Jeremie of the Central Bank won the men's equivalent with a time of 28:24, his inaugural win at the Games. Another Central Bank representative Michael Christian (30:40) placed second on debut and Anuj Talwar representing Team UTC did 32:02 for third place.

Phillip said, “It’s always a pleasure to take part in the CariFin event and it’s definitely a highlight on the calendar of all the financial institutions. I’m excited to see how the Green Mile (race) plays out this year.”

On his success in the walking race, Jeremie said, “Walk steady with a purpose, victory is a must. I must say I felt elated. A little overwhelmed…but accomplished.”

The CariFin Games is geared towards inspiring individuals to pursue a healthier lifestyle while fostering stronger relationships among colleagues in the financial services sector.