sustainability

Story by Veranda Resorts

On October 27, a young Mauritian woman full of talent and courage is getting ready to jump into the ocean to achieve a remarkable feat that will undoubtedly leave you breathless… This athlete, not to say mermaid, is going to complete a round Mauritius swim on the high sea in only 9 days, which means 200 kilometers for an average of 8 hours of swimming per day.

But for what purpose? you may ask. Tina is planning to make the most of her muscles and mental strength for a cause that is close to her heart, namely muscular dystrophy. The Mauritian athlete wants to raise awareness of this genetic disease and hopes to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Mauritius. The funds raised will enable children with this disease who have recently developed scoliosis to undergo an operation that will improve their quality of life. 

Veranda Resorts is proud to support this cause, which is in line with the ‘inclusive development‘ pillar of our Now For Tomorrow sustainability pact. Each hotel has not hesitated to join in by participating as an accommodation sponsor at different stages of the tour. We would also like to allow our hotel guests to donate to the online fund which will be open from the first stage.

For Vincent Cavalot, Chief Operations Officer of Veranda Resorts, Tina Staub’s initiative is in line with the hotel group’ values of respect, hospitality, and solidarity.  “We are very proud to be associated with this highly commendable initiative. Our teams will follow Tina Staub’s progress daily with great attention and look forward to welcoming her in each of our hotels.  By supporting projects such as this, we want to create a more equitable and inclusive environment for all.

A short introduction to this devoted athlete

Since you were young have you always been attracted to water?

I must say that the unleashed power of the sea has always attracted me. I grew up in the heart of the island, so I was far away from it, with no means of transport to get there except for a family picnic. When I started high school, I was lucky enough to attend the Loreto Convent in Rose Hill which offered a swimming class every Thursday that was a real treat for me and my first real connection with the water.  Once I got a car, after every storm, I headed south to watch the waves.

Let’s talk about your sports achievements, do you have any figures in mind?

I have a few long swims that I am particularly fond of…

First, my first long distance, where I completed 15.47km of high sea crossing from Le Morne to La Preneuse by swimming in the Ambulante pass and the La Preneuse pass in 6h50. I also swam 20 km over a period of 12 hours in the high sea from Pointe aux Sables to Flic en Flac or from Le Morne to Pointe aux Sables in 9 hours over 30 km. Finally, last July I swam for 9 days in a row! I accumulated 142.43 km of swimming in 68 hours.

We can certainly talk about sports accomplishments, but as far as I’m concerned, I do not place much importance on the performance part. It is about experiences and feelings that I want to live intensely.

What would be your most intense memory?

Swimming with Lilian Eymeric, my mentor on this project, in the high sea near the Coin de Mire with waves of over 4 meters. Thrills guaranteed!  At the end of the swim, we were visited by about 20 dolphins.

What would be your most challenging memory?

Without any hesitation the 7th day of my 9-day swim challenge last July… I had to swim 12 hours in a row in an 18-degree pool. It’s already very complex to go back and forth for 12 hours in a pool… so the freshness of the water and the lack of sunlight was not easy to manage. I was on the verge of hypothermia. It takes mental strength and determination to get through it!

And the nicest one?

All these memories are incredible for me because by living these experiences to the fullest I always learn something about myself and about life.

What do you expect from this swimming exploit?

With the sea you must expect a lot! For me, you just must be in harmony with the element and live in the moment. I do everything under my control with the sole expectation of arriving serenely at the start line and completing the swim in the same state of mind. 

How are the trainings going?

Great! Everything is falling into place. I feel good in my body and in my head. The training sessions are just as important as the challenge itself, if not more so. That’s when everything falls into place when you learn as much as possible.

How do you feel a few days before D-day?

I can’t believe we’re already talking about ‘a few days’ before the start. I have a mixture of positive stress, excitement, joy and satisfaction. The year has gone very well, and everything has been well organized up to now. I feel good and I think that with all the support around me, I’m going to have a really great experience.

Do you have a specific route in mind?

I’m doing some mental visualization work and my husband, and I have it well structured. We are lucky enough to be able to see everything on Google Earth. With several experiences of swimming in the high sea, I can see what to expect, although I’m not going to use the word precise because nothing is precise at sea. What is precise in my mind is that my degree of adaptation must be at the maximum level.

Which part do you fear the most?

I work on myself mentally so that I don’t dread anything. I want to keep my inner peace in all circumstances. The sea surrounds us, and I want to be one with it during the challenge no matter what the conditions are.

What is the good cause behind this swim?

There are so many! I would like to tell the whole of Mauritius that we may be a small island, but we can aspire to be big. I would like to tell everyone not to be afraid to dream and to do whatever it takes to make those dreams come true. I would like to tell young people how important sport is for the balance of a life. I would like to tell women that we can achieve our wildest dreams, we just must believe in ourselves. I would like to tell people with muscular dystrophy that everything does not stop at the wheelchair because our minds are full of abilities. I would like to tell everyone to protect the ocean, to take a small step each day to act towards its protection because without the ocean, we are nothing…

Find all the steps of this crossing here

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