Olympic spirit: getting fit, having fun
By Fei Lai |
November 24, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
UNIVERSITY student Li Guanghua, 20, may never make the Olympics, but he got a taste of the thrill of high-level competitive sports as a swimmer and participant in the first Shanghai Citizens Sports Meet.
"I never dreamed that one day I would reach the city level of sports," Li said, emerging from the pool at the Minhang Swim Center.
The sports meet, an event organized to encourage public fitness, concluded on November 17 after a five-month run that involved 3,812 events citywide and attracted more than 6.3 million participants.
For its part, the Minhang District sponsored an array of what might be called "amateur Olympics" for sports enthusiasts like Li to display their talents and show how fitness can be fun.
Li had Olympic champion and idol Liu Zige in mind as he swam his lengths in the pool.
"I weighed at 60 kilograms when I was in the fourth grade," Li said. "I used to be really fat. To trim down, I started swimming, and I've been at it for 10 years."
He said he first became interested in swimming competitions from watching them on television. He had never participated in any school sports meets, let alone city sports events, before the Shanghai Citizens Sports Meet competition.
Seven months ago, while at the Minhang Swim Center, he met and joined a group of swimmers who signed up for the competition.
He was among more than 200 district residents - ranging in age from seven to 63 - who participated in swimming events at the games.
Of course, the citywide event wasn't all about swimming. There was also dancing among the array of sports categories.
Dancing queens
The Meilong Town Sports Dance team, comprised of older dance enthusiasts, won an award in the Minhang competition of the Shanghai Citizens Sports Meet.
Xiang Yingyin, who coached the dancing team, said she choreographed movements in keeping with the abilities of middle-aged and older dancers. They practiced diligently, even going through the steps at home as they mopped floors or cooked meals.
Zhang Yangqing, a member of the dance team, said the activity helped her recover from surgery.
She is dedicated to dance, searching online for information about rhythm and movement, and even recording dance steps on camera to study them.
"Dance has brought us optimism and a positive attitude," Zhang said. "It makes us feel alive."
Some of the sports activities addressed brain as well as brawn.
Cai Yuhao, who attends the Qibao Mingqiang Primary School, participated in the chess portion of the sports competition.
"It was really exciting to be able to display our talents," said Cai, who practiced chess diligently during school holidays to prepare for the meet.
He has been a chess enthusiast for years, and recalls his parents taking him to watch community matches when he was just knee-high. Nowadays, he can beat many adults in his neighborhood at the game.
Many Minhang residents praised the games for the positive effect they had on people.
Ling Fengfang is a member of the women's lion dancing team from Pujiang Town, which won a first prize at the games.
She said her doctor had recommended surgery for a uterine problem, but she chose lion dancing first over hospital treatment. The exercise helped relax her and prepare her for the eventual operation, she said.
"Instead of lying around in the bed, I spent hours practicing with my team and having fun," she said.
Even the digital age was represented at the games. Some events, such as the 100-meter dash, freestyle swimming, darts and bowling, were cast into the virtual realm with the use of cameras and high-performance computers. That allowed people who aren't as fit or sports-ready to "participate" in the games in their own fashion.
"I never dreamed that one day I would reach the city level of sports," Li said, emerging from the pool at the Minhang Swim Center.
The sports meet, an event organized to encourage public fitness, concluded on November 17 after a five-month run that involved 3,812 events citywide and attracted more than 6.3 million participants.
For its part, the Minhang District sponsored an array of what might be called "amateur Olympics" for sports enthusiasts like Li to display their talents and show how fitness can be fun.
Li had Olympic champion and idol Liu Zige in mind as he swam his lengths in the pool.
"I weighed at 60 kilograms when I was in the fourth grade," Li said. "I used to be really fat. To trim down, I started swimming, and I've been at it for 10 years."
He said he first became interested in swimming competitions from watching them on television. He had never participated in any school sports meets, let alone city sports events, before the Shanghai Citizens Sports Meet competition.
Seven months ago, while at the Minhang Swim Center, he met and joined a group of swimmers who signed up for the competition.
He was among more than 200 district residents - ranging in age from seven to 63 - who participated in swimming events at the games.
Of course, the citywide event wasn't all about swimming. There was also dancing among the array of sports categories.
Dancing queens
The Meilong Town Sports Dance team, comprised of older dance enthusiasts, won an award in the Minhang competition of the Shanghai Citizens Sports Meet.
Xiang Yingyin, who coached the dancing team, said she choreographed movements in keeping with the abilities of middle-aged and older dancers. They practiced diligently, even going through the steps at home as they mopped floors or cooked meals.
Zhang Yangqing, a member of the dance team, said the activity helped her recover from surgery.
She is dedicated to dance, searching online for information about rhythm and movement, and even recording dance steps on camera to study them.
"Dance has brought us optimism and a positive attitude," Zhang said. "It makes us feel alive."
Some of the sports activities addressed brain as well as brawn.
Cai Yuhao, who attends the Qibao Mingqiang Primary School, participated in the chess portion of the sports competition.
"It was really exciting to be able to display our talents," said Cai, who practiced chess diligently during school holidays to prepare for the meet.
He has been a chess enthusiast for years, and recalls his parents taking him to watch community matches when he was just knee-high. Nowadays, he can beat many adults in his neighborhood at the game.
Many Minhang residents praised the games for the positive effect they had on people.
Ling Fengfang is a member of the women's lion dancing team from Pujiang Town, which won a first prize at the games.
She said her doctor had recommended surgery for a uterine problem, but she chose lion dancing first over hospital treatment. The exercise helped relax her and prepare her for the eventual operation, she said.
"Instead of lying around in the bed, I spent hours practicing with my team and having fun," she said.
Even the digital age was represented at the games. Some events, such as the 100-meter dash, freestyle swimming, darts and bowling, were cast into the virtual realm with the use of cameras and high-performance computers. That allowed people who aren't as fit or sports-ready to "participate" in the games in their own fashion.
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