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FM
Former Member

US-based Guyanese swims Demerara River in 24 minutes


 

By Tiana Cole

America-based Guyanese Deryck Rugbeer returned to his homeland recently with one main goal: To swim across the Demerara River.
He did just that yesterday, clocking a time of 24 minutes and adding the feat to his ‘bucket list.’


Family members and onlookers who were in a boat encouraged him along the way, and congratulated him afterwards.


He said that he would have completed it in a faster time if he hadn’t to swim against the tide. Despite the time set back he claimed that “I feel good after my swim despite a bit being nervous.”


Deryck’s mom Lucille Baldeo Rugbeer told Kaieteur News that when her son informed her he was coming home to swim across the Demerara River, she decided that she wanted to be with him when he accomplished one of his dreams


The 52 year old grew up in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market, and as a child, he would often venture to the back of the market and look across the Demerara River and ask himself: Can I swim over that?
He attended the Mon Repos Primary, where he wrote the National Grade Six Assessment and was awarded a place at the St. Stanislaus College.

Deryck Rugbeer accomplishes swimming across the Demerara River

Deryck Rugbeer accomplishes swimming across the Demerara River

While attending that institution, he was involved in track and athletics activities.


In 1984, Rugbeer and his family migrated to the United States of America, where he continued to pursue his athletics career. Apart from that, he was involved in swimming, skiing down hill, riding, ice skating and tennis.


While at home in the USA he would always do laps in the pool, to complete a mile. All this prepared him for yesterday’s swim.
The father of one is a certified Software engineer and happily married to his wife, Lesly Rugbeer, who teaches special needs children.
In addition to achieving his childhood goal, last Saturday, he rode his bicycle from Charlotte Street to Parika in approximately four hours.
Also on Saturday, he rode from the Stabroek Market to the Splashmins Resort where he also took a practice swim to ensure that he could complete a mile.


He plants fruits and vegetables and also enjoys cooking his family healthy foods. He stays away from oil and fatty foods.
Deryck wants to live a long and healthy life after losing all three of his brothers at a young age.


His advice to Guyanese is to eat healthy, stay fit and don’t give up easily

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I just did a half tri in june and a 1.2 mile swim took me almost 40 mins and I had on a wet suit and salt water!  I think that fellow had to have ate a lot of beans to give him buoyancy and air to turn on as turbo jets to get across a mile in 24 mins.

FM
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

KN failed to mention that he has been cracking the whip on Stormy for the last year over the poor performance of the APNU/AFC gov't. 

I am on vacation so I will spare you a good cussing...me gane!!!

FM
Stormborn posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

KN failed to mention that he has been cracking the whip on Stormy for the last year over the poor performance of the APNU/AFC gov't. 

I am on vacation so I will spare you a good cussing...me gane!!!

Sounded like an angry housewife.

Billy Ram Balgobin

Swimming is the toughest athletic sport I ever participated in.  Running and riding did not test my lungs like swimming. Congratulations to Drugb and hope you continue to keep yourself in good health.  

Billy Ram Balgobin
cain posted:

Ohhh stop it with the PPP shyte. What did they do put squibs up his ass to blow him across fast? Just read and enjoy what the guy did on his own.

The man swam 1 mile across the river and suddenly he's a champion. Not to take anything away from him but it's not like he swam 100 miles. A 64 year old woman did that from Cuba to Miami. Now that's an accomplishment.

When I was a kid there was a guy they called Bruk-up because his legs were crippled by polio. He swam across the Demerara on a regular basis. His exploits are mentioned at this link - http://www.stabroeknews.com/20...demerara-ferry-days/

Finally, there was a week-end swim group that gathered at Robb Street stelling that took that plunge towards the hoop. Included in that group was a man from Kitty Village know as 'Bruk-Up' who some say was a polio victim and one who rode his ladies bike with crutches. He was among the frequent swimmers who made that salt water crossing.

 

Bruk-up had such a reputation for swimming the Demerara that there was a story going around that he stole a bunch of plantains at the market and swam to Vreed-en-Hoop with it on his back.

Mars

Brukup was a bad tiefman who rode a P50 and hung out a lot at the cinemas, he might have even been hanging around with Rohee the goat.

We still give Druggie props for doing his swim,he aright with that in my books but I'll still give him $hit when he deserves it.

cain
Last edited by cain
cain posted:

Brukup was a bad tiefman who rode a P50 and hung out a lot at the cinemas, he might have even been hanging around with Rohee the goat.

We still give Druggie props for doing his swim,he aright with that in my books but I'll still give him $hit when he deserves it.

Yep, that's him. He rode a P50 and was a well known gangster. He was a very good swimmer.

Mars
Stormborn posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

KN failed to mention that he has been cracking the whip on Stormy for the last year over the poor performance of the APNU/AFC gov't. 

I am on vacation so I will spare you a good cussing...me gane!!!

D2 ,

Why do you say the  Demerara River is dirty?

Chief
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

Try to swim just 400 yards and you will find out how difficult it is do. Most of you here can barely swim across a trench.

I agree with you.

Mars does swim in his bath tub

Chief
Chief posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

Try to swim just 400 yards and you will find out how difficult it is do. Most of you here can barely swim across a trench.

I agree with you.

Mars does swim in his bath tub

I'm not one of those old decrepit fat people like you clowns. I have an Olympic sized pool in my community and a heated pool in the backyard. I swim all the time. My uncle ran a water polo club at Luckhoo Pool so I've been swimming properly since I was a kid. I could easily go into training and swim a mile if I had the time. You fools are behaving like the man just broke a world record. A 70 year old man just swam the Essequibo, which is much longer, a few weeks ago. People do triathlon training every weekend where they swim more than a mile, ride 25 miles and run six more. There are two guys who frequent my community pool who are serious triathlon competitors. But Guyanese people are like neva see come fuh see. Imagine a man swam a mile in the river and the newspapers show up to run an article. Bruk-up with his polio legs use to do that on a regular basis when I was a kid.

Mars
Last edited by Mars
Chief posted:
Stormborn posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

KN failed to mention that he has been cracking the whip on Stormy for the last year over the poor performance of the APNU/AFC gov't. 

I am on vacation so I will spare you a good cussing...me gane!!!

D2 ,

Why do you say the  Demerara River is dirty?

http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....s-sitting-on-sewage/

In Georgetown, the main sewage system dumps into the Demerara River. 

Mars
Last edited by Mars

Oh rass ah hope Druggie didn't swallow. Now we got another call name for him...yellowmouth, Nahhh jes kiddin'

We gotta find a close up of him and we gotta get a pic of our own Gilly an see if he got yellow lipstick

cain
Last edited by cain

Gilbakka salutes Drugb. He just proved he is physically fit like Stormborn and Mars. Yes, we disagree on political matters, but we must take pride in the fact that a GNI member swam across the Demerara River. 

FM
Gilbakka posted:

Gilbakka salutes Drugb. He just proved he is physically fit like Stormborn and Mars. Yes, we disagree on political matters, but we must take pride in the fact that a GNI member swam across the Demerara River. 

Cobra and Nehru fit to drink rum  and talk fart.

Chief
Last edited by Chief

Congrats Drugb. GNI is proud of you.

I heard that Storm is also very athletic, hope he can make us proud too.

Hope Mitwah Bhai cuts and paste this article.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
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