15km ‘Mind Over Matter’ charity swim challenge and 21km ‘Run For a Good Cause’ race Golden girl Passon proves her mettle |26 April 2021

President Ramkalawan has congratulated both Passon and Melanie on their exploits on Saturday

• Joel Melanie gets project off to a flying start

By Laura Pillay

It was exactly 4 hours and 08 minutes after setting off that Seychelles’ golden girl Felicity Passon completed her 15km ‘Mind Over Matter’ charity challenge on Saturday, swimming the channel from La Digue to Praslin, and back.

On the same day, Saturday, running enthusiast Joel Melanie also took to the roads of La Digue, successfully ticking off his list his 21km run nicknamed ‘Anmenn Mwan La Digue’, as part of his ‘Run for a Good Cause’ project.

Upon achieving their momentous feats, President Wavel Ramkalwan sent a message of congratulations to both swimmer Felicity Passon and runner Melanie on their accomplishments.

"The whole of Seychelles is immensely proud of your achievements. Both Felicity and Joel have demonstrated that there is no age limit to the good one can achieve and that through perseverance, hard work and courage, anything is possible. Thank you for being exemplary athletes and an inspiration to our nation. This is what the Seychellois spirit should all be about,” said President Ramkalawan.

Felicity, who organised the 15km ‘Mind Over Matter’ charity challenge with the backing of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Family, to raise funds towards her earmarked mental health project, set off on her course at 6am as planned from Anse Calice, La Digue, with perfect weather conditions accompanying her. The reigning Sportswoman of the Year gracefully made the crossing to Praslin in 2 hours, taking only two barely-even 30-second breaks on the course.

As expected the second part of the journey back to La Digue, the island from which her family hails, was anticipated to be harder on account of fatigue. For the most part of the journey back, the seasoned athlete faced ocean currents that were not in her favour, but she remained as determined and motivated as ever, pushing through with the encouragement and cheers of the team alongside her, to make it back to La Digue in 4 hours 08 minutes.

The young swimmer and her impressive accomplishment were celebrated by the many residents and supporters who turned up to cheer her on and to congratulate her.

“It is very incredible and I appreciate all the support. The whole challenge was an amazing experience! It was definitely tough, but the public and cause made it completely worth it!” Passon told Seychelles NATION upon completing the challenge.

Lydvine Passon, mother to Felicity, in seeing her at the finish line could not contain her joy.

“I am really, really happy. Our emotions are really high and we are really in the spirit. We knew she would do it, but still there was a little fear. But now that she has done it being my daughter we know she has the determination and the courage. We are so, so proud, and we did not expect that she is so courageous. We really appreciate that everyone is behind her, and we congratulate her. We are not just proud of ourselves, but proud that she made La Digue and the whole of Seychelles proud with an event that was so intense and to a high standard, I am lost for words,” Lydvine Passon stated.

Funds raised through Felicity’s project will go towards launching a mental health project, in collaboration with the quality of life department within the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Family, which consists of extending psychosocial support to the general public through the establishment of a ‘telephone and e-counselling service’ by certified professionals.

The support will help affected individuals with a safe and confidential area to talk about their issues as well as providing them with coping skills that will have a positive impact on their lives.

Felicity is a three-time Young Female Athlete of the Year winner in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The force to be reckoned with won 11 medals – seven gold, three silver (one individual and two in relays) and one bronze – at the 10th Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) to become Seychelles’ best ever swimmer at these Games. She is also the first Seychellois swimmer to win a gold medal at the 12th African Games that took place in Rabat, Morocco in 2019. In fact, she won two gold medals as well as one silver and one bronze in her first involvement in the games.

Passon won her two gold medals in the 100m backstroke (1:02.42) and 200m backstroke (2:14.55). She also won the silver medal in the 50m backstroke (29.17 seconds for a new Seychelles record) and clocked 1:00.61 for another Seychelles record in the 100m butterfly for a bronze medal.

Running enthusiast Joel Melanie’s ‘Run For a Good Cause’ project off to flying start

Running enthusiast Joel Melanie also took to the roads of La Digue on Saturday, successfully ticking off his list his 21km run nicknamed ‘Anmenn Mwan La Digue’, as part of his ‘Run for a Good Cause’ project.

The run constitutes the first leg of the third and final phase of Mr Melanie’s personal project which aims to support various organisations and associations with funding, to support and ensure the wellbeing of Seychellois families and children. The organisations which will benefit from the third phase of the project are the Unique Foundation, the Seychelles Stroke Foundation, the Seychelles Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the National Association for the Disabled.

For Saturday’s run, Melanie covered the distance in 2 hours 43 minutes, slightly over what he had planned.

“Saturday was wonderful. To have two charitable events going on at the same time, and the attention that both have been given makes me feel that sports is earning its place, not only sports but the notion of challenging oneself for a good cause,” Mr Melanie told Seychelles NATION.

“I had planned to finish the course in 2 hours 30 minutes, but I ended up finishing slightly later, I guess down to the weather as it was extremely hot as I was coming to the end. But I am looking forward to the next run on Praslin,” Mr Melanie stated.

The next two legs of the project will take Mr Melanie to Praslin on June 26, with the last challenge taking place on Mahé on August 29.

The accompanying photographs show some highlights of the two events on Saturday.