Gov. John deJongh Jr. and many others sent their best wishes this week for one young lady from St. Thomas – swimmer Sasha Klein – who flew out Monday to Jerusalem to compete in the 19th annual Maccabiah Games later this month.

"The Virgin Islands is very proud of Ms. Klein’s swimming abilities and the fact that she was accepted to compete in the Maccabiah Games," deJongh said in a statement this week. “She is the first female athlete to qualify from the Virgin Islands and the only athlete representing our territory in 2013.”

“I know she will do well and represent the Virgin Islands to the best of her ability," he added.

Klein, 13, swims with the Stingrays team of the St. Thomas Swimming Association and is the top female swimmer in her age group.

She recently set a new V.I. record in the Girls 13-14, 50-meter freestyle, breaking the previous best time set in 1980. She has represented the Virgin Islands at the CARIFTA Aquatic Championships, the CCCAN swimming championships and has won numerous medals. She is a student at Antilles School.

Klein will be presenting a letter from deJongh to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the games. DeJongh is sending greetings from the people of the Virgin Islands to the people of Israel, and has included a territorial flag "as a symbol of our abiding respect and friendship," according to Government House.

The Maccabiah Games are held every four years, in the year following the Olympics, for the best Jewish athletes from around the world. The games have grown in stature and attendance since originally established in 1932. In 2009, delegations from 50 countries participated in the Maccabiah Games, the largest sporting event of that year. More than 7,000 athletes are expected to participate in the 19th Maccabiah Games.