Olympic Day is next week

The National Olympic Academy (NOA) in conjunction with the Barbados Olympic Association has found creative ways to ensure that Olympic Day is a reality this year despite the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Director of the NOA, Vaneisha Cadogan, said that since June 23, 1948, when the first Olympic Day was organised, this was the first time they were forced to switch everything to online.

In a telephone interview with Barbados TODAY, Cadogan spoke about the NOA’s determination to be creative and come up with ideas that would ensure the successful staging for this annual event.

“We have never done anything like this before. This is all new. We definitely had to let our creative juices flow in order to determine what we will plan for this year. We just knew in the Academy that we did not want to not celebrate Olympic day. We wanted to celebrate Olympic Day no matter what.

“Normally in the Academy, the practice has been not to just have activities on the day. We have always done things during the week leading up to Olympic Day. So, we want to continue that trend and as we thought about it ideas came, we put some things together,” Cadogan said.

Under the theme Olympic Day scheduled for next Monday, June 15 to Tuesday, June 23, Cadogan said there were several online activities planned. She added: “It is now for us to hope that Barbadians will buy into the idea, embrace it and participate.”

Among the activities scheduled is a tik tok challenge called Let’s Move where participants are asked to make a video of themselves moving through a frame from left to right, or any form of activity they want to do whether it is walking, dancing, cartwheeling or hand-standing. The videos will be compiled and released on Olympic Day.

Then there is the Greek Statue challenge that is an activity where participants may use maybe a bed sheet over their clothing to make an ancient Greek robe. From there they can use an object from their home that resembles an Olympic torch and pose like a statue.

Cadogan is reminding those that intend to participate that they are not required to light anything. The person with the most likes will win a prize.

An online treasure hunt via Zoom is also on the agenda and again those involved will receive a list of items that they are expected to find in the environs of their homes. The person who comes back with all of the items on the list will win.

Cadogan also revealed that from next week leading up to Olympic Day, Barbados Olympic Association has some interactive games on its website in an activities room. “Once you go online to our website and you click on the activities room, you will see each day, contents relating to a topic that would be under the theme, the Olympic Games. So, for example, they would see something on Olympic values and there would be some games relating to that topic. So they may have to do a jigsaw puzzle or word find but it would be linked to the theme.

“Then the final day is when the actual Olympic Day begins. So that is the day we have a special surprise. We are trying to encourage everybody to make sure yes, they do interactive activities all those days, but on actual Olympic Day when they go into the activities room there is a special surprise in store and it will be fun,” she explained.

Cadogan also said there would be online sessions where former Barbadian Olympians will share their favourite memories. Under the theme ‘Voices of the Children’ – the youth will also speak on how they feel about physical education and sports.

There will be a workout session and all are welcomed onto the Zoom platforms. Cadogan also noted that the links will be provided on the BOA’s website.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb