#letsmove

5th annual Sports Festival and walks celebrate Olympic Day as BVIOC marks the 40th anniversary of Olympic Games participation

June 7, 2024 by Admin

The British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee (BVIOC), in collaboration with its member National Federations and the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports (DYAS) and in partnership with the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, will host the 5th annual free Sports Festival celebrating Olympic Day. The event will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2024, across Tortola and include activities on Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and Anegada. This family-friendly festival is open to the public of all ages and abilities.

This year’s celebration is particularly special as it marks the 40th anniversary of the Virgin Islands’ (UK) first appearance at the Olympic Games. In 1984, the territory was represented by speed skater Erroll “Canute” Fraser at the Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games and a team of four track and field athletes and five sailors at the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games. The athletics team members included Lindel “Chef” Hodge, Guy Hill, Dean Greenaway, and Jerry Molyneaux, while the sailing team featured Robin Tattersall, Elvet Meyers, Keith Thomas, Keith Barker and the late Peter Barker. These past Olympians will be honored at the event.

Sports Festival Highlights

This year’s Sports Festival will be hosted from 9:00am – 12:00pm at the HLSCC campus grounds in Paraquita Bay, returning to the original site of the festival’s launch in 2012. A partnership with the college was agreed for co-hosting Olympic Day events, underscoring the relationship between the BVIOC and the HLSCC through the swimming pool project.

Interactive stations at the college grounds include archery, athletics, basketball, cycling, netball, softball and squash. The BVI Anit-Doping Commission and health and nutrition advisors will also be on site.

The Department of Culture will be showcasing an interactive maritime historical display with the Maritime Museum open for visits. The Heritage Dancers will continue to build on their participation with lessons in some of the VI’s traditional dance steps.

Additional activities will take place simultaneously at Brandywine Bay Beach with aquatic and marine sports including sailing and swimming stations, alongside beach sports hosted by the volleyball, rugby and football federations.

DYAS will be hosting corporate competitions with points to be accrued for the winner’s title.

Walk/runs will take place from 6:30am on Virgin Gorda starting at the VG Recreation Ground and on Anegada starting at the Claudia Creque Educational Centre. On Jost Van Dyke, the walk/run will start at 5:30am from the Albert Chinnery Admin Building, Great Harbour.

“Sports Festival is designed to showcase various sports and encourage the public to move, learn and discover as they try out different activities they can incorporate into their lifestyle for better fitness and health,” said BVIOC President Ephraim Penn. “There is a lot on offer, and it most definitely is a great opportunity for everyone in the family to get involved together. I encourage all to join us for a day of fun, fitness, and celebration of the Olympic spirit!”

Olympic Year Celebrations

2024 is an Olympic year, and the BVI will be represented at the Paris 2024 Games by two outstanding athletes: Kyron McMaster OBE OLY, a 400m hurdles 2x Commonwealth Games champion and World Athletics Championship silver medalist, and ILCA7 (laser) sailor Thad Lettsome. Chef de Mission Tahesia Harrigan-Scott will attend the Olympic Day celebrations with updates on the preparation for the Games with VI designer, Kristin Fraser unveiling the Opening Ceremony wear for the BVI team at Paris 2024.

Event attendees will have the chance to receive Olympic Day tee shirts (subject to availability) and enjoy Coca-Cola products including Dasani water and Powerade.

Olympic Day was established in 1948 as an annual occasion where everyone everywhere can get together in their communities to celebrate the Olympic values of Respect, Excellence, Friendship and Peace while celebrating the Olympic Day pillars: Move. Learn. Discover.

More information on Olympic Day and the event can be found here.

“Let’s Move” invitation to 4th annual Sports Festival and walk/runs celebrating Olympic Day

June 12, 2023 by Admin

The BVI Olympic Committee (BVIOC) in collaboration with its member National Federations will host the 4th free annual Sports Festival at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds from 9:00am – 12:00pm on Saturday, June 24. The event will be preceded by the Trident Trust Championship and Olympic Day race with a 10k, 5k and 1k run/walk starting from the grounds at 6:30am. Walks will take place on Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke at 6:30am and at 5:30am respectively.

The roundtrip walk/run from the recreational field in Spanish Town to the Baths will culminate with a friendly softball game on the fields on Virgin Gorda. For people on Jost Van Dyke, the dawn walk will start from the Albert Chinnery Administration Building in Great Harbour to the Soggy Dollar parking lot in White Bay and return to Great Harbour.

The events across the islands will mark Olympic Day which is internationally recognised each year on June 23. This year, the International Olympic Committee has themed the event “Let’s Move”.

The world is moving faster than ever, but people are moving less. Research has found that one in four adults and over 80% of young people are not able to meet the recommended minimum activity levels needed for optimum health (WHO, 2022).

“Encouraging physical activity throughout the wider community is one of the remits the BVIOC has been working on through the Long Term Athlete Development programme,” said Mr. Ephraim Penn, President of the BVIOC. “Our Olympic Day celebrations through the Sports Festival has embraced the concept of helping people of all ages and abilities to move by finding an activity that appeals to them. Walking is also an activity that’s easy to do and the community walks help to remind people of the pleasure and satisfaction of that exercise. We are pleased that our LTAD partners in Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke are helping to promote the message.”

The walk/runs on VG, JVD and the early morning run/walk on Tortola hosted by the BVI Runners, the road racing affiliate of the BVIAA, is a traditional global Olympic Day event.

The collaboration on Tortola with the different National Federations, the National Anti-Doping Commission, the Public Health Unit and, new for this year, the BVI Heritage Dancers, provides an opportunity for the public on Tortola to combine discovering an activity that they can engage in, understand what is meant by “clean sports” and learn about optimizing their nutritional intake.

The morning will feature interactive stations suitable for adults and children alike. Skills can be tested in archery, athletics, basketball, cycling, football, rugby, sailing, softball, squash, taekwondo, triathlon and volleyball. Director of Culture, Dr. Katherine Smith will provide insight to the history of the dances to be taught by the BVI Heritage Dancers. Olympian and chair of the BVI Athletes’ Commission, Ashley Kelly will run an outdoor fitness circuit and host Olympian Q & A sessions. Dr. Harlan Vanterpool, Chief Anti-doping Officer will speak about clean sport and the importance of understanding prescription and over the counter medication as well as the impact of recreational drug usage. Ms. Patrice Maduro of the Public Health Unit will be providing guidance on health and nutrition.

Free Olympic Day tee shirts on registration and subject to availability and complimentary Coca Cola products Dasani water, and Powerade will be provided courtesy of Road Town Wholesale.

In the run up to Sports Festival and in marking Olympic Day values, National Federations are hosting training sessions which the public are welcome to join in as follows:
·       Archery at the HLSCC, Paraquita Bay – 1:00pm – 5:00pm on Saturday, June 17 and Sunday June 18.
·       Athletics at the A.O.Shirley Recreation Grounds 1:00pm – 5:00pm on Saturday, June 17;
·       Squash will host an open session with visiting professional players at the Tortola Sports Club starting at 3:30pm on Monday, June 19.
·       Rugby will have a training session with visiting professional rugby player, ex All Black, Norm Maxwell at 6:00pm on Wednesday, June 21 at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds.
·       Taekwondo will host open sessions for youths Monday, June 19 through Thursday, June 22 at 3:30pm – 4:30pm and 5;00pm:45pm – 6:45pm. Adult sessions will take place on Monday and Thursday, 7:00pm – 8:00pm.
More information on these sessions can be sought from the National Federations whose contact details can be found on www.bviolympics.org.

Olympic Day was established in 1948 as an annual occasion where everyone everywhere can get together in their communities to celebrate the Olympic values of Respect, Excellence, Friendship and Peace while celebrating the Olympic Day pillars: Move. Learn. Discover.