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Olympic Athletes coach primary school hopefuls

 

Fifty (50) of the country’s most promising primary school track and field athletes were recently tutored in world-class competition techniques by Atlantic Sports Ambassadors Keshorn Walcott and Richard Thompson, two of Trinidad and Tobago’s top Olympic medalists.

The students were participants in the third annual Atlantic National Primary Schools Track & Field Development Camp held recently at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. On the one-day camp, Thompson shared sprinting tips and exercises with the children, while Walcott demonstrated proper throwing techniques to some of the young athletes.

Camille Salandy, Atlantic’s Manager Sustainability and Corporate Communications said that Walcott and Thompson were as enthusiastic to spend time with the children as the children were to be rubbing shoulders with their sporting heroes.

“Initiatives like this Development Camp highlight the power of partnership to make a difference in the development of the next generation,” Salandy said. “The Camp is the result of an ongoing partnership between the National Primary Schools Track and Field Association and Atlantic, and was born out of Atlantic’s commitment to help enable local youth development through sports, whether through annual national sporting competitions or by creating moments for primary school children to interact meaningfully with Trinidad and Tobago’s premier athletes.”

Salandy further explained that some of the students will be selected for the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) Games 2018 in Bermuda.

Richard Thompson, triple Olympic medalist and current holder of the national 100m record said that he was happy to continue being an inspiration to the future of local athletics.  “When I partnered with Atlantic, this was a vision of mine – to give back to the growth of the sport I love through various sessions. Today’s camp is my third in partnership with Atlantic,” Thompson said.

Keshorn Walcott, double Olympic medalist and current holder of the national record for the Javelin Throw said that the camp was a significant opportunity for the participating students to be introduced to field events and improve their coordination. “But even more importantly, it was a wonderful opportunity for them to have fun,” Walcott said.

Established in 2015, the Atlantic National Primary Schools Track and Field Development Camp is part of the company’s commitment to youth development through sport. Since 2011, Atlantic has sponsored the National Primary Schools Track and Field Championships, an annual competition that enjoys participation from some 350 schools across Trinidad and Tobago. The top students in every year’s Championships are selected to attend the camp and gain one-on-one coaching advice from the country’s top athletes.