CHILDREN AND TEENS HAVE FUN IN THE 1ST RIO DE JANEIRO HALF MARATHON – CHILDREN’S RACE - By Rodolfo Eichler
‘The Rio Half ‘Maratoninha’ brought the children to take part in several other cultural activities.
Over 200 children and teens from 3 social projects take part in the event, held at Célio de Barros Stadium
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – The 1st Rio de Janeiro Half Children’s Marathon – children race was held last Saturday morning at Celio de Barros Stadium, Maracana Complex, with around 200 participants aged 6 to 15, who disputed 50 and 100 meters flat.
As a pilot project – with no previous registrations – the event gathered together children and teenagers from 3 important social projects of Rio, which use athletics as a tool for educational and citizenship purposes.
From 2011 on, the competition will be part of the Road Races Children Circuit, together with São Paulo Marathon Children’s Race, São Silvestre Children’s Race, known as São Silvestrinha (both in São Paulo), Pampulha Lagoon Children’s Race, the Pampulhinha, in the city of Belo Horizonte. The project is supported by Ideeia – Institute for Education, Sports and Arts through Social Development.
Being a non-competitive race, all participants received orientation on how to participate without worrying with final score, time or position, but keeping their own personal rhythm aiming only to have fun by participating. All finishers received medals, snacks, fruit juices and a t-shirt, to stimulate their dedication to sports and school education.
All participants were indicated by the Project “Lançar-se Para o Futuro”, of the Public School Silveira Sampaio, through a Social Program of Mangueira, which works in sports, health, education for work, leisure and culture, as well as of the Suderj (Rio de Janeiro Athletics Federation, aiming to support needy children from several communities, which has turned into reference in reintegration of young offenders into society).
One example of this work is Juliano da Silva, 11 years old, who lives in the Ayrton Senna Shelter House. Athletics is a fun, an activity among friends, despite having run on bare feet. ‘I can’t run on my sleepers’, says with typical children’s simplicity, who never through of having a pair of tennis shoes in the future.
‘Several athletes who have taken part in National and South American Championships were educated here. Our aim is not graduate athletes, but they get so excited about sports that they end up adopting one as a way of living’, said teacher Edneida Freire (heptathlon olimpic champion) she counts on financial support of Suderj.
Pablo Bastos, 13, has practiced running for 2 years at Silveira Sampaio School. ‘Before starting I thought sport were an activity for problematic people. Now I believe this can change my live for good’, he commented. ‘Barbara Leone’s achievement made me see I have an important opportunity and I am going to take it, he said, referring to the athlete educated in the Project “Lançar-se Para o Futuro”, who was golden medal in the 200 meters flat in Ostrava, in the Chek Republic, in 2007.
Daielly dos Santos, 11, proud of running with hair accessories in her age category, showed a lot of personality. She practices Vila Olímpica of Mangueira. ‘I thing I did well. I am too short, though. When I grow up, I will face my opponents face to face,’ she said.
‘The Rio Half ‘Maratoninha’ brought the children to take part in several other cultural activities. The week before the race, about 100 children from the 3 projects above went to visit the Rio Zoo Foundation. They were accompanied by 15 teachers of biology and sports, apart from volunteers of Mariners Corp in a successful oriented visit’, reminds Suzana Gnaccarini, from Ideeia.
The Rio Half Marathon Children Race is an initiative of the Social Projects supervised by Ideeia Institute, organized by Yescom and Rio de Janeiro Athletics Federation.
Rodolfo Eichler
- "Silveira Sampaio School": http://esportesocial.com/2009/12/26/barbara-leoncio-vitoria-do-esporte-como-projeto-de-inclusao-social/
- "Vila Olímpica da Mangueira" http://www.fpabramo.org.br/formacao/pt-no-parlamento/textos-e-publicacoes/programa-social-da-mangueira and http://www.mangueira.com.br/site/conteudo/programas_sociais.asp
- "SUDERJ EM FORMA": http://www.suderj.rj.gov.br/detalhe_noticia.asp?ident=100
- RIOZOO FOUNDATION: http://www.rio.rj.gov.br/web/riozoo/principal
- QUINTA DA BOA VISTA PARK: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinta_da_Boa_Vista
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