The newest members of the Bermuda Carifta Games squad have expressed their excitement about competing for the island in Grenada.

Brooklyn Myers, Ajana Patton, Kelise Wade, Elena Bortoli and Nazir Johnson will be making their debut this weekend at Kirani James Athletics Stadium.

Myers last month broke Flora Duffy’s record in the girls under-16 3,000 metres at the Senior School Track and Field Championships. Through the youngster’s aunt, Robyn Dickinson, the Olympian congratulated Myers and encouraged her to keep working hard.

“My aunt contacted her because she’s friends with her,” Myers told The Royal Gazette.

“Flora just said to continue training and continue breaking records. It feels pretty great because she’s a really cool person and I’ve always really looked up to her.

“I’ve always seen her on television and seen her coming first in the Olympics. I think that drives me a lot to be better and train more.”

Being one of the youngest runners in the 3,000, in which the under-17 and under-20 age groups run together, Myers is not putting herself under any pressure.

“I’m probably not going to come first in Carifta because it’s an open category,” the 14-year-old said.

“However, I do wish to break my record and have a personal best in this race. I’m going to keep my eye on certain people that I feel like I can pace with and try to stay with them until the end.

“I’ve been training with coach Mouchette and his girls for the past couple of weeks, as my coach has been away. I think that has really helped me get fit and prepare myself for this race.”

While not new to the event, sprinter Arima Turner makes a return after missing the 2024 and 2025 competitions. She was a member of the 4×100 relay team that got awarded a bronze medal at the 2023 edition after Jamaica were belatedly disqualified.

“I’m really excited to compete this year in Grenada,” Turner said.

“I feel like it’s a good opportunity to showcase what I’ve been working on with my coaches. I just like to compete for my country at the end of the day. This is my home, so I just like to go out there and show what I’ve been working towards.

“I’m feeling quite confident, but a little nervous because it's still a competition. If I get a medal, I'd be really happy with it, but that wouldn’t be at the forefront of my mind. The forefront of my mind is just to execute.”

Triple jumper Patton, a student at Westtown School in Pennsylvania, is thrilled to be taking part.

“I feel very excited,” the 15-year-old said.

“This is my first time going to Carifta and it’s a new experience for me, so I’m just ready to see what it is all about.

“I am hoping for a PB in triple jump and I feel like that’s not too much of an ask to get above 11.80 metres.

“I was very happy when I was told because I wasn’t expecting to be able to go. I'm just very happy I'm one of the people able to go and experience this type of track meet away.”

Johnson will be running for Bermuda in the under-17 boys 800 metres. The 15-year-old was part of the The Berkeley Institute team that won the senior school championships last month.

“I was really shocked at first when I made the team,” Johnson said.

“I thought I hadn’t made it until I got the email saying that I had. This would have been my second year trying, but this year I did.

“I was training harder and more intensely. I focused on anything that helped me become a better athlete.”

As the youngest member of the team, Bortoli is hoping to get over her fears of competing at such a big stage.

“I’m a bit nervous as I haven’t done a big meet before,” the 13-year-old said.

“I’m hoping to get a PB by running under five minute and hopefully place in the top ten.”

Wade is counting on her determination to carry her through. The Berkeley student missed the qualifying mark in the 400, but the Bermuda National Athletics Association saw her potential and included her in the team.

“I’m feeling very optimistic because I’ve trained very hard in the last couple of months for the 2025-26 season,” she said.

“I believe I can produce a good time or at least just have a good race. Anything can happen on race day, but I just hope I can participate to the best of my ability.

“My goal is to try and make it to the final for Bermuda. If I can try to run a sub 58 in my 400, that would be nice as well.

“Looking back at my last qualifying race, it was definitely a surprising moment for me as that was my second time running under 59 seconds. However, I still felt proud because I just knew that my hard work at the time did pay off.”