Olympic gold medallist Linda MacKenzie will lead the celebrations at Hampden State School’s 2011 Olympic Day Sports Carnival on Friday 17 June in Kuttabul, Queensland.
Olympic gold medallist Linda MacKenzie will lead the celebrations at Hampden State School’s 2011 Olympic Day Sports Carnival on Friday 17 June in Kuttabul, Queensland.
Parents and the community will join in a whole school sports day of novelty events, ball games and track and field events to celebrate International Olympic Day which is held annually in June.
“I am really looking forward to the day,” MacKenzie said. “It is wonderful to have the opportunity to share with young Australians my experiences through sport as well as encourage them to follow their dream and never give up.”
Students will compete in house groups; the Taipans, Cobras and Pythons – a reflection of Kuttabul’s local wildlife.
On the day cabbage-head tunnel ball will be the blue riband event followed by the running of an Olympic torch relay, with a ball on a witches hat for the torch.
“The students are really hyped,” Principal Howard Frost said. “The carnival is an annual event that the community looks forward to and we draw a lot of support from them.”
“The emphasis is always on sportsmanship, participation and just doing your best. It’s something that we do here all the time, but Olympic Day is a good opportunity to reinforce those values.”
Olympic Day is an international community event celebrating sport, education and culture. In Australia, Olympians are returning to school to talk about their experience at the Olympic Games and the positive impact sport has had on their life.
Through the AOC’s education program, the a.s.p.i.r.e. school network, schools are provided with a framework to create their own Olympic Day activities that reflect on the a.s.p.i.r.e. values developed by the Australian Olympic Team.
To instil these values, namely attitude, sportsmanship, pride, individual responsibility, respect and express yourself, Hampden State School will present an award to a student who demonstrates them during the day.
“It’s not limited to age groups, but it’s an award to show case the children that exemplify those values,” says Frost.
Frances Cordaro
AOC
