Page 64 - 52nd Annual White Marlin Open
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best. When it came to fruition by winning the WMO, on John-
          ny’s first boat, it was an incredible sense of accomplishment.
          And to do it in our adopted hometown, a place where we em-  Perhaps that strength came from above, but in any case, after
          ploy 75 people and a place where we know the history and  landing the fish, the Backlash raced to the scales.
          tradition of the WMO, made it that much sweeter.”
                                                                 “As we pulled into the dock”, says McLeskey, “thousands of
          Help from Above                                        people there screaming and yelling as the fish was weighed. It
          Cheryl McLeskey is a spiritual woman who feels like that may  came in at 94 lbs., at the time the second largest white marlin
          have helped her to win the 2015 White Marlin Open.     in tournament history. I felt the power of the Lord, and said
                                                                 ‘Thank you Jesus’”.
          “My husband Wayne was an outstanding angler who had won
          several tournaments in North Carolina”, says McLeskey. “He  There were some other out-of-this-world connections to this
          introduced me to offshore fishing and it quickly became a pas-  catch as well. The fish was 94 lbs. and McLeskey’s wedding
          sion of mine. Wayne passed in 2012, but every time I go out  anniversary was 9/4. McLeskey received the $1.17 million dol-
          on the water, I feel that I have his spirit with me.”  lar prize on 8/8, her birthday. The Backlash was boat number
                                                                 87 and Capt. Richardsons birthday is 8/7. As McLeskey said
          McLeskey’s dear father Alfredo Palacios passed away in May  after, “it all added up!”.
          of 2015, just a few months before the White Marlin Open. Her
          long time friend, Rachel Davanzo, lost her husband in 2013.  McLeskey has done nothing but good with her new found
          Davanzo was the one who convinced McLeskey to join her and  fame and fortune. “To honor my father who was of Spanish
          Capt. Steve Richardson for the 2015 tournament. It was her  descent, most of my winnings were donated to the McMahon
          first WMO.                                             Parater Scholarship Foundation”, explained McLeskey. “The
                                                                 scholarships are spe cifically to provide tuition assistance for
          So perhaps it was divine intervention that fateful day when a  Hispanic families in the Richmond area who wanted their chil-
          monster white marlin took the bait behind the Backlash.Mc-  dren to have a Catholic education.”
          Leskey recounts the catch. “When that marlin first jumped we
          knew it was a big one. The adrenaline was flowing. I am not  McLeskey also ran the Wine, Women and Fishing tournament
          sure where the strength came from, but I was able to get that  out of her Virginia Beach Fishing Center marina in Rudee Inlet.
          fish to the boat in 10 minutes.”                       Over the years the tournament raised over $1 million for breast



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   WMO 52 Magazine.indd 64                                                                                       7/15/25 8:02AM
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