Coast Guard Women’s Team are This Year’s Wonder Women

What began as a friendly fitness competition among women’s teams from the Belize Police Department, the Belize Defense Force, and the Belize Coast Guard wrapped up this afternoon with the Belize Coast Guard team claiming bragging rights. Since Wednesday, the women have been competing in six different fitness challenges, all scored by a points system. News Five’s Marion Ali has the final scores.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

The Coast Guard team of eight women has earned the bragging rights at the 2025 Wonder Women competition. Over the past few days, from Wednesday to today, they tackled and conquered six different fitness challenges. It wasn’t an easy feat, but their hard work and determination paid off.

 

Petty Officer Diana Velasquez, Belize Coast Guard Team Captain

“Two weeks before this event, one of my strong swimmers got malaria, so she was completely out. We had to take her out. Then Sunday before this weekend, another strong member got dengue. So she was totally out. So we had to bring in a swimmer to replace her because it had to be eight per team, so we had to bring in a swimmer to replace her, but this person didn’t train at all, so she was just brought in just to specifically do the swim run. Apart from that, one of my other strong six went and pull her hamstring, so she totally couldn’t do all of the events. We just brought her in for this morning’s march on shoot because our other team member was injured from during the training.”

 

Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard

“It was an amazing event, amazing. The past three days have been nothing but remarkable. The women across the security services really came out and did their best. They did their all. You can hear the noise; you can feel energy here at the Coast Guard headquarters. And every event was a challenge. The teams really gave it their all.”

 

The Coast Guard team racked up an impressive six hundred and seventy points over the past three days, narrowly beating the Belize Defense Force by just ten points. Both teams have every reason to feel incredibly proud of their efforts, including the BDF team trained by Major Roberta Usher.

 

Major Roberta Usher, B.D.F. Team Captain

“We did exceptionally well. We put the training in and we came out here and we performed to the best of our ability, and I’m proud of all of them.”

 

Marion Ali

“Can you share a little bit about the behind-the-scenes training? How long was it, what was the most challenging for you and maybe the kinks or the most difficult part over the three-day period here?”

 

Major Roberta Usher

“Well, training-wise, the girls have been together about two and a half months. I was currently working in the west at the battalion there, so I was not with them the entire time. Only when I was off then I had the opportunity to come train with them, but they were together twice a day training just basically the three days of events, over and over. I think every day produced its own challenges. Day one, we excelled on A.P.F.T. The swim is not our strong suit, but overall, I think the competition was really close this year with everybody. We were neck and neck everyday with the Coast Guard.”

 

Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F.

“It’s not something easy. It’s something grueling  and it takes a lot from our women. I’m very proud of what they did, but we must do better and what this event in particularly enforces in us it in camaraderie.”

 

Interestingly, Roberta Usher’s sister, Jane Usher, trained the Belize Police Department’s team. Despite the competition, it didn’t affect their sisterly bond one bit.

 

A.S.P Jane Usher, Director of Training, Police Team

“We each go hard for our own teams. We will put our best out there –  everything on the line for our team. But at the end of the day, we will cheer each other, we will support each other. We have the benefit of training together. I don’t want to say that she gave away B.D.F secrets or anything like that. She certainly did not, but she definitely supported me in helping me to prepare a training schedule because we’re not really that experienced in this competition. So it’s definitely to our advantage and the friendly rivalry, the competition, the training partner, the support, having someone out there pushing you, even from the other team, it’s very motivational.”

 

Corporal Jennifer Linares shared that it took more than eight weeks of intense training to get ready for the competition.

 

Cpl. Jennifer Linares, Captain, Team Police

“We try to do our personal  workout, but then afterwards we did this for 10 weeks before the competition. They give us the time so that we can train and be part of this competition.”

 

The Police team got five hundred and sixty points over the three days of competition. News Five will present a documentary on the event shorty. Marion Ali for News Five.