Who says Olympic Games, says Olympic flame. Monday, it was in the courtyard of the Peiresc college in Toulon that she took her place. An Olympic flame, in wood and made by hand, of course, but a whole symbol to launch Olympic and Paralympic Week in the Var with dignity.
The sixth national edition will be widely followed by Var schools, with the theme this year being sport for the environment and the climate.
The values of Olympism
Since yesterday and until Friday January 28, activities and debates around these subjects are organized within the establishments participating in the event. Objective: to make students aware of the Olympic values and sports practices, as Lucienne Roques explains.
“This year, twenty municipalities across the department are mobilizing for this week, the ambition of which is to allow children to do sports activities related to the Olympic Games, to discover the values of these Olympic sports and to raise their awareness of disability. “, details the president of the Departmental Olympic and Sports Committee of the Var.
If Toulon and certain municipalities of the department have been participating in it for a few years now, changes are to be noted. Like the close collaboration between the sports community, schools and city services. “A pooling of services essential now in order to carry out this week where the initiation to Olympic sports will be in the spotlight, specifies Olivier Millangue, inspector of the Var Academy. The idea is to manage to offer them thirty minutes of additional activities each day for five days.“.
Thirty establishments in Toulon
Thus, around 3,000 students and thirty establishments across the city will take part in the game. Within the Peiresc college, there will be 610 to discover the world of the Olympics. “ The 6th graders will deepen their knowledge of a two-wheeler with the “know-how-to-ride” workshops, the 5th graders will learn about the rowing machine, the 4th graders will learn about disabled sports and finally the 3rd graders will discover weightlifting. It is essential for us that they can try several sports in order to discover all the Olympic activities, emphasizes Martine Le Guen, professor of physical education and sports supervising Olympic Week in college, with her colleague Thomas Le Coz. Many students think that the Olympics correspond only to athletics. This week is a great opportunity to develop their knowledge in this area as 2024 approaches, when Paris will host the Olympics. “. Archery, wheelchair rugby, judo or even Brazilian jiu-jitsu: so many activities little known to the students that will be presented to them.
Awareness of disabilities
An opportunity to broaden one’s knowledge and sports practices, of course, but also to raise awareness on the issue of disability. “The idea is to change everyone’s view of the disability issue and instill in them the civic and sporting values inscribed in the DNA of Olympism and Paralympism., adds the academy inspector. We hope that each child will grow out of this week, which will contribute to participating in living together “.
