GREAT BAY--Forge Fitness SXM and Carib Swim Team (CST) are approaching one year of a dryland training partnership that has helped young swimmers build strength, power and endurance, while contributing to personal best times in the pool.
The partnership places CST’s competitive swimmers in a structured strength and conditioning program at Forge Fitness SXM, designed specifically to complement their work in the water.
“This partnership reflects the purpose for which we set out to build Forge Fitness SXM: to create a facility that strengthens the wider St. Maarten community, not just the people who walk in looking for a gym membership,” said Stanley Mourillon, Managing Director of Forge Fitness SXM. “Seeing these young athletes become stronger, faster, and more confident in the water is exactly the kind of impact we want to be known for.”
CST began exploring expanded dryland training after its coaches identified an opportunity to improve swimmers’ overall muscular strength and reinforce the role strength training can play in performance.
“We had noticed that our swimmers could benefit from getting stronger overall and hoped that targeted strength training would help them become faster in the water,” said Eline Broere, Coach at Carib Swim Team. She said Forge Fitness SXM’s trained staff and its proximity to the pool made the partnership a practical fit for the team.
Coach and Program Designer Cami Blijden developed the training around the physical demands of competitive swimming, balancing cardiovascular endurance, muscular power and joint mobility. CST athletes compete in pool events ranging from 25 to 1,500 meters and open-water events from 750 meters to 5,000 meters.
Training sessions are held twice weekly and focus on power and explosiveness, shoulder stability and strength, pulling strength and endurance, and lower-body strength and endurance. The exercises are intended to support movements swimmers rely on in competition, including diving, pushing off walls and maintaining stroke power over longer distances.
Both organizations say the results are showing. Broere has reported visible physical development and improved ability among swimmers to sustain power. Blijden said swimmers are also regularly recording new personal bests.
Among the examples highlighted is a 10-year-old swimmer who progressed from basic movement correction to jumping onto a 25-inch box after six months of training, while a 12-year-old swimmer recently completed a sprint triathlon.
“For me, it has been a privilege to coach these athletes,” Blijden said. “I do my best in every program and every session because I want them to go far and understand that improvement comes with consistency.”
Forge Fitness SXM and Carib Swim Team said the partnership is also grounded in keeping youth sports positive, safe and encouraging, with athlete confidence and long-term development remaining central to the program.
Both organizations hope to continue the collaboration and are exploring the possibility of hosting a joint event. Forge Fitness SXM said the initiative forms part of its broader effort to strengthen opportunities for young athletes in St. Maarten and provide local talent with a stronger physical foundation for higher levels of competition.
