The Virtual Andrey & Julia Dashin’s Foundation Youth Race
The OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO and the Dashin’s Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, offered a unique experience for young runners, who had the opportunity to participate in the virtual version of the Andrey & Julia Dashin’s Foundation Youth Race. This new virtual format took place from the 21st of November until the 12th of December 2020 and was a great celebration of happiness and sports.
One of the main goals of the marathon was to popularize the running culture among the younger generation. Specifically, for this audience, the OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO offered its most beloved race – The Andrey & Julia Dashin’s Foundation Youth Race – which saw 1,500 young and aspiring runners from 40 schools take part.
The founder of Andrey & Julia Dashin’s Foundation, Mrs. Julia Dashina, stated that “participation in the Virtual Youth Race sparks the understanding that a child needs to exercise regularly, adopting the standards of a healthy way of living from an early stage. The satisfaction and smiles on the faces of these little athletes embodied the biggest victory. Such victories and the proud faces of young participants are priceless, whilst well-deserved medals remind us of our continuous striving for development”.
The Youth Race was divided into two categories based on the age: 500 meters distance for children from 6 to 9 years old, and 1000 meters for children from 10 to 13. Participating was simple. First, the students had to register with the assistance of their teachers, and then run the required distance in their free time and record their effort via a tracking application from a mobile phone. After the completion of their race, they were asked to send a screenshot verifying that they covered the relevant distance. Every student who successfully completed the run was granted a race pack containing a finisher’s medal and a diploma.
The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, highlighted the need of awareness among students for a healthy lifestyle including physical exercise, and specified: “Especially during these adverse times we are facing today due to the pandemic, the Ministry supports and reinforces the opportunities for exercise outside the confines of the school hours, so that physical exercise becomes a way of life for the future generations of Cyprus. An active lifestyle is a guarantee of health not only for the human body, but also for the human mind and spirit”.
Celebrate this life actively!