Fun · Fitness · Friendship
The story of Trinidad and Tobago's longest-running corporate wellness competition — from a small Central Bank athletics group to a 12-institution movement that has shaped an entire sector's culture of wellness.
It began in 1987 — not as CariFin, but as a small group of Central Bank employees who wanted to stay active outside of office hours. They called themselves the Central Bank Athletics Group. Their weekend runs around Queen's Park Savannah grew into something larger: the Bankers Cross Country, a friendly competition that drew runners from other financial institutions who had heard about this group of professionals chasing each other around the Savannah every Saturday morning.
By 1991, what had started as informal weekend gatherings had grown into something that needed a name and a structure. Under the leadership of Anthony Le Maitre and with the steady backing of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, the Bankers Cross Country was formalized into the CariFin Games — a full calendar of competitive events designed to unite the entire financial services sector around wellness, community, and corporate pride.
Thirty-five years later, that original vision — that financial professionals deserve to move, connect, and play together — still drives every event, every race, and every cheer at the finish line.
"We started because we believed that the people who kept the financial sector running deserved something more than just a desk. They deserved a community. Thirty-five years later, that community is stronger than ever."
— Wayne Roberts, Founder & President, CariFin GamesThirty-nine years of building Trinidad and Tobago's corporate wellness culture, one event at a time.
A small group of Central Bank employees begins meeting for weekend runs around Queen's Park Savannah. No trophies. No sponsors. Just people who wanted to move.
Word spreads. Runners from Republic Bank, Scotiabank, and other institutions start joining the Saturday sessions. The Bankers Cross Country is born — a friendly inter-institutional race at the Savannah.
Under the leadership of Anthony Le Maitre and with backing from the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, the Bankers Cross Country is formalized into the CariFin Games — a structured calendar of wellness events for the entire financial services sector.
CariFin expands beyond Trinidad and Tobago, reaching Grenada, Suriname, Guyana, Jamaica, and Barbados. Regional financial institutions begin sending teams to compete.
Celebrating the women of financial services, the Ms. CariFin pageant adds a new cultural dimension — blending wellness, personality, and institutional pride.
CariFin celebrates a quarter-century of continuous operation. Over 10,000 financial professionals have participated across the first 25 years.
Nearly two decades after Ms. CariFin, the Mr. CariFin competition is introduced — celebrating the men of the financial services community with the same cultural energy.
Twelve institutions. Five events. One championship. The 35th Anniversary season marks a new chapter — with plans for regional expansion, a permanent CariFin HQ, and a Hall of Legends to honour those who built this community.
Three and a half decades of impact across Trinidad and Tobago's financial services sector.
The modern financial professional spends an average of 8.5 hours a day sitting. They carry the weight of quarterly targets, compliance audits, customer escalations, and the quiet pressure of representing institutions that hold other people's futures in their hands. Burnout is not a possibility — it is a default setting.
CariFin Games exists to interrupt that default. To pull people out from behind their desks and back onto their feet. To remind them that they are not only their job titles — they are athletes, teammates, friends, and representatives of institutions with 35 years of shared history. Every race, every podium, every Torch Relay exists to make wellness feel not like an obligation, but like a celebration.
The 2026 theme — Evolve. Excel. Empower. — captures where we are heading: evolving our events to meet the modern professional, excelling in the quality and experience we deliver, and empowering the financial services community to build a healthier future together.
What's next for CariFin Games as we move beyond 35 years.
Bringing CariFin events back to Tobago, Grenada, and other Caribbean islands with rotating hosts every two years — reviving the regional legacy that defined the 1990s.
Establishing a dedicated headquarters for events, content, training, and innovation — a physical home for the next 35 years of CariFin.
Honouring the founders, champions, and builders who shaped CariFin across its first three and a half decades — a permanent tribute to those who made this community possible.
Whether you're a runner, a team manager, a sponsor, a journalist, or someone who simply believes in what we do — there's a place for you in the next chapter of CariFin.