In 2019 we started a bi-annual track and field event known
as the ‘ATASS Olympics’, the second instalment of which was due to be held last
year but sadly, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic we couldn’t go ahead with
it. Fortunately, we have been able to hold it this year and we’ve just got back
from an exciting few days at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London.
Our team travelled up from Exeter the night before and
enjoyed an evening of good food, good company and, of course, a few board games
at a local hotel. In the morning we loaded up on oats, avocado and, for some, a
good old full English, and were all set for a day of competition. Perhaps the
funniest part of the day was the warmup, which included a dance off even
Beyonce would have been proud of (maybe not).
Newly added this year was a rowing and cycling competition, pitting people head-to-head to see who could cover a set distance in the quickest time. The heats were hard, especially in the errr…heat (it was a glorious June day) and there was many a red face by the end.
The sack race provided some great entertainment in the afternoon. For those taking part, it mostly provided sore knees from too much time spent face-planting the grass. There was also a tug of war, a hotly contested 100m final and to finish, a series of relay races.
The medal ceremony marked the end of the active part of the day, and we were very lucky to have superstar sprinter Dwain Chambers on hand for the presentation.
Away from the athletics, we had a mobile food van on hand providing much needed refreshments in between events. Then there was a tasty BBQ in the early evening just before we headed back to the South West, sweaty and tired but in high spirits after a great day out!
