The 2023 Women’s World Cup is well underway and while many folks will be cheering for the U.S. Women’s National Team, there’s a contingent of Jamaican fans in West Hartford. They’ll be cheering for the Swaby sisters, Chantelle and Allyson, who are from West Hartford.
“I get a lot of calls asking, ‘Are those your daughters?' It's an honor,” their dad, Lennox Swaby, said. “It's a big reward.”
His two daughters, Allyson, 26 and Chantelle, 24, are representing his home country for a second-consecutive World Cup.
They grew up playing youth soccer in West Hartford before taking up travel teams, but the proud parents said they always enjoyed games on the Hall High School turf.
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“We put a couple hundred thousand miles on our cars and probably about half a million on the body, flying from here to all over the country,” said mom, Dianne Swaby.
Now, Chantelle and Allyson are in Australia, starting side-by-side on defense for Jamaica.
The “Reggae Girlz” made history already, earning the country’s first Women’s World Cup point by playing to a scoreless draw against France.
“It's just been an amazing journey,” Lennox said. “Just watching them go from competing at different levels and now they're in the World Cup, words just can't explain.”
But actions can and their work ethic and dedication say it perfectly.
“They just wanted to play the game,” said Lennox. “They always wanted to play the game, which made it so much easier for us. You didn't have to push them. They were pretty much pushing us all the time. 'Come on, Dad. It's OK to be early.’”
Jamaica plays Panama at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.
