Tuesday, March 14 marked an important milestone on the road to the Paris 2024 Summer Games.
On a scorching morning in Bull Bay, the French Embassy in Jamaica, in partnership with Jamaica Skate Culture and the Freedom Skatepark Foundation, kicked off a one-hour sporting event to celebrate the 500-day countdown to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This event was part of a global relay with 100 French embassies across five continents, with each embassy organizing a one-hour sporting event from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (local time) and handovers taking place virtually through social media networks. The Jamaican event received the relay from St. Lucia at 9:00 am and passed it to Mexico at 10:00 am.
The event in Jamaica was held at the Freedom Skatepark and Youth Centre in Bull Bay, with the master of ceremony, His Excellency Olivier Guyonvarch, Ambassador of France in Jamaica, assisted by Thomas Leydier, Counsellor, and Deputy Head of Mission.
Skateboarding is a new discipline in the Olympic Games, making its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The French Embassy chose to celebrate this by partnering with the two registered Jamaican skateboard foundations, Jamaica Skate Culture and the Freedom Skatepark Foundation.
This event showcased the spirit of the Olympic Games, emphasizing the values of brotherhood, cultural diversity, and community engagement.
Skateboarding is more than just a sport; it represents a culture on its own, with a strong connection to art, music, and fashion. It is also a powerful tool for social inclusion, bringing together people from different socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures. This event at the Freedom Skatepark and Youth Centre in Bull Bay demonstrated how skateboarding can promote positive social change and give back to the community.
During the event, 12 students from Donald Quarrie High School were introduced to skateboarding, accompanied by their teacher and principal, Talbert Weir. They were able to experience the joy of skateboarding and connect with local skaters, creating a sense of community and shared experience.
Other guests included Suzanne Henry, Secretary-General of the Jamaica Paralympic Association; Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, First Counsellor, and Head of Cooperation for the European Union Delegation (Caribbean region); Manon Goudier, Director of Alliance Française; Dr. Sharmella Roopchand-Martin, Head of the Mona Academy of Sports; Cecile Hosang, Agent Lecturer at the Mona Academy of Sports; and Edith Doekoe, French athlete training in Jamaica.
Kimberley Harris, Secretary of Jamaica Skate Culture, took care of the guests while the staff taught skateboarding to the children. Manager Blake Burnett, Nicola Balla, Ray Quon, and demos by Ivah Wilmot SK876 founder, Ronald Hastings, Daniel Mattis, and Onan Stephenson.
BMX was represented by Damion Douglas, Garnet Lopez, Sean Roberts, Jermaine Baker, Daniel Gooden, Okeen Wallace and Romario. The Freedom Skatepark Foundation was represented by Lisa Doyen from Seprod and Gina Mair, with Remy Walter, Director of Sport and founder of JSC, organizing the event for the French Embassy and FSF.
The French Ambassador chose Bull Bay as the venue for the event because of the community’s strong role in supporting the project and giving back to the children of the area.
The goal of Jamaica Skate Culture and its partners is part of a wider project to promote skateboarding in Jamaica and create safe spaces for young people to engage in sport and develop their skills, providing opportunities for youth to excel and find balance away from electronic screens and endemic violence.
Working with and in schools and organizing a first National championship are also ways to prepare and give access to a maximum of girls and boys finding the talents and future champions of tomorrow to represent Jamaica at the highest level.
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games may still be 18 months away, but the French Embassy and its partners in Jamaica are already working hard to promote a culture of sports and inclusion that will have long-lasting benefits for the community.
As the countdown continues, more events and initiatives are planned to bring the Olympic spirit to Jamaica and inspire young people to get involved in sports.
Skateboarding and BMX may be seen as unconventional sports, but their inclusion in the Olympics highlights the diverse and inclusive nature of the games.
By celebrating the Olympic spirit with skateboarding and BMX in Jamaica, the French Embassy, Jamaica Skate Culture, and Freedom Skatepark Foundation have shown how sports can bring people together and create a sense of community and belonging.
