Olympian Yona Knight-Wisdom and Sabrina Lyn were both celebrated as the Male and Female Athlete of the Year as The Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) hosted its highly anticipated Inaugural Awards Ceremony.
The event, held on March 1, 2025, at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, recognized the outstanding performances of Jamaica’s National and Age Group Athletes in aquatic sports throughout 2024, celebrating their dedication, perseverance, and excellence in the sport.
The ceremony was also a fundraiser, designed to uplift the nation’s aquatic athletes, boost team morale, and enhance ASAJ’s presence in the global aquatic community. It was attended by The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange who applauded the initiative as a creative and impactful way to support the nation’s aquatic athletes. She also emphasized her vision to develop a new swimming facility in Jamaica to further expand the sport.
A highlight of the evening was the keynote address delivered by Alia Atkinson, Jamaica’s five-time Olympian and world champion who encouraged the athletes to embrace challenges and push beyond their limits, reminding them, ‘To dream big,’ as she once did on her path to becoming a world champion.
Honoring Excellence in Aquatic Sports Awards were presented in several categories, recognizing top-tier performances in swimming, open water, diving, and artistic swimming. Some of the most prestigious awards of the evening included:
● Male Athlete of the Year – Yona-Knight Wisdom, for his representation at the Paris Olympics and leadership as Jamaica’s Olympic team captain.
● Female Athlete of the Year – Sabrina Lyn, for her remarkable performance in the 50m freestyle at the Paris Olympics and leadership as the 2024 CARIFTA team captain.
● Relay Performances of the Year – 13-14 Boys 200m & 15-17 Boys 200m Freestyle Relays Team for their record-breaking performance at the 2024 CARIFTA Games.
● Coach of the Year – Wendy Lee, recognized for her exceptional leadership and dedication to athlete development.
● Official of the Year – Josyanne Chambers and Joseph Reynolds, for their outstanding contributions to officiating and governance of the sport.
● Open Water Swimmer of the Year – Charles McIntosh, for setting a new 3K open water record at the 2024 Blue Marlins Open Water Meet.
● Excellence in Diving – Yona-Knight Wisdom, Jamaica’s first male diver to represent at three Olympic Games
● Excellence in Artistic Swimming – Jordanya Thomas & Johanna Doman, they both represented Jamaica at 2024 Carifta Artistic Swimming.
Additionally, numerous age group champions were honoured for their exceptional performances at both local and regional competitions, highlighting the depth of young talent within the ASAJ.