The Young Ambassadors have been to the two Olympic Stadia in Athens. Find out what they thought here...
Olympic Stadia in Athens - old and new!
16 Jul 2009
The day was kick started with a thought provoking debate on the Paralympic Games. Everyone had bags of enthusiasm for the subject, lead by Oli ‘Rookie’ Hooper. We were put to shame with his quiz about Paralympians! We’re now fully informed and will endeavour to increase the awareness of the Paralympic values upon our return.
The Acropolis was our first stop. From a distance we were amazed and taken back by the sights on the hill, and that only increased as we got closer and the crowds swelled.
After a visit to the Stadium of Peace and Friendship, excitement was still building – we knew we were coming closer to the stunning stadia hidden within Athens. We arrived at the highlight of our day, the 1896 Stadium, host of the first modern Olympic Games. Imagining the full stands of 80,000 people and the spectacle even then, was a truly overwhelming experience.
Finally we were fortunate enough to be given a chance to follow in the footsteps of Dame Kelly Holmes, emulating her famous victories as we first went into the 2004 stadium and then even ran on the track.
We ended the day as we started, with another thought provoking debate, led by Hannah ‘Smiler’ Watts, around the discrimination of black athletes at the Games. Our reactions and answers to the questions posed were divided, so now it’s your turn. Can we, or indeed should we, as the youth of today, use the power of the Games to prevent discrimination and promote a unified world?
