We have less than a month until the London Summer Olympics begin and anticipation is building across the globe.
Last Wednesday, June 27th, we celebrated Olympic Day right here in Craftsbury, Vermont at Hosmer Point summer camp. About 60 kids aged 9-14 participated in this free event that included marching in opening ceremonies, trying out a variety of Olympic sports, and learning Olympic trivia. Special guest Lynn Jennings, a 3 time Olympian and bronze medalist in the 10,000 m run at Barcelona ’92, lit the torch for us. Other guest athletes included cross country skiers and biathletes from the US national teams, the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, and the New England Nordic Ski Association’s Regional Elite training Group. Hosmer Point camp staff did an incredible job setting up, running the sports stations, and bringing lots of positive energy. Thank you Hosmer Point!!!
Welcome to Olympic Day 2012 at Hosmer Point!
Olympic Day celebrates the Olympic movement and its ideals and promotes fitness and healthy living. It was celebrated in over 160 countries this year.
Kid participants and athlete helpers were divided into several groups for the afternoon representing different countries.
A spirited bunch
The opening ceremonies parade
Lynn Jennings lit the torch and shared some of her experiences. She began running as a kid because it was simply something she loved to do. She encouraged the kids to follow whatever they felt passionate about and see where that thread takes them.
Lynn passed her bronze medal around the circle. She says it always comes back to her, no matter how big a group she shares it with, but she also points out that the medal itself isn’t very important compared to the lessons and experiences she gained while pursuing it.
After the opening ceremonies, the countries rotated through several sports stations. The day’s activities were not designed to be competitive.
Archery
Tennis
Track and Field
Beach Volleyball
Basketball
Soccer
Canoeing
And bonus activity: rock climbing, which is not yet an Olympic sport. Perhaps it will be in the future… Maybe some of these kids will be competing in it…
A few of the awesome Hosmer Point staff.
Everybody went home with medals
We are eagerly looking forward to watching the London Games. Go USA! And may competitors from all the different countries unite in their common love of sport.
Susan Dunklee 