Daily Archives: August 6, 2022

As sure as night follows day, the arrival of the Commonwealth Games every four years prompts its critics to belch forth the searing observation that it is not, in fact, the Olympics. The standard is just not as high, they cunningly point out, due to the lack of sporting giants like the USA and China.

Bravo to them, for they are correct, then, now and forever. Come the regional Victorian Games in 2026, they can be just as smug, safe in the knowledge that no Norwegian hurdlers or Iranian weightlifters will be robbing the host nation of gold medals that are rightfully ours to plunder.

Double world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber says the Commonwealth Games have been vital to her global success in javelin.Credit:Getty

Its a base-level take based on the relevance of the Games to the consumer, not the athletes or the sports they represent. The Aldi Olympics they may be in terms of wider appeal but the Commonwealth Games have been an invaluable breeding ground that continues to turn rising athletes into world and Olympic champions.

Sports federations dont look at the Commonwealth Games purely in terms of competitive output, although thats always the aim of the game. What they do offer is a pared-down Olympic experience, complete with all the trimmings that can be the undoing of some competitors when they finally land on the grand stage.

There is village life, in tiny beds, with shared dorms that have athletes coming and going at all hours of the day or night. There are late finishes, with early starts, punctuated by hours on buses or vans, some of which turn up on time, others which may take a scenic route to a venue or training facility.

There are media commitments, some of which take on a life of their own and turn their week inside-out (ask Kyle Chalmers), and dining halls and COVID protocols and doping tests. It adds up to a small version of a big picture that makes the transition to an Olympic experience that much smoother.

Ariarne Titmus announced herself to Australia at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Three years later, she would be a world and Olympic champion, beating the great Katie Ledecky in the process.Credit:Getty Images

On the field of play, or in the pool, the results continue to speak for themselves. Before Emma McKeon was an Olympic record-breaker, she was a prolific Commonwealth champion, having eight gold medals to her name before she even dipped her toe in the water in Birmingham.

And at the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast, the breakout star was a prolific Tasmanian teenager called Ariarne Titmus. One year later, she would beat Katie Ledecky at the FINA world championships, then go on to win dual gold in an unforgettable outing in Tokyo.

Link:

They may be the Aldi Olympics, but the Commonwealth Games breed champions - Sydney Morning Herald

Perhaps this is a debate no one thought was necessary, but travelers who have crossed the strait of Juan de Fuca and looked south at the towering mountains of the Olympics or north to British Columbia's thriving little capital of Victoria on Vancouver Island might have tried to decide which truly offered travelers more.

Towering mountains, lush forests, coasts exposed to the Pacific, and aesthetic waterfalls are signature characteristics of the Olympic Peninsula. Vancouver Island also boasts high peaks and verdant temperate rainforest, as well as stunning coast and the addition of the islands in the Strait of Georgia. Vancouver Island has Victoria, while the Olympic Peninsula has Port Angeles. But which offers travelers more?

On the side of the Olympic Peninsula, travelers benefit from easy access to Seattle-Tacoma airport. There is no need to ferry a vehicle out to the Olympic Peninsula. This is incredible for road trippers who want to add the peninsula to their route. It offers all the high mountain vistas and stunning coastal views, waterfalls, and coastal wonders that Vancouver Island can, do while simply being more convenient.

Related: Road Tripping The Canadian Pacific Northwest In Two Weeks

Starting in Port Angeles, this out-and-back 6.6 km hike takes about three hours and 25 minutes to finish. This trail is popular from April to October, so travelers should expect others to be using them. Also, unfortunately, dogs arent allowed.

At just 2.7 km out and back, Marymere Falls Trail near Joyce is a great and fairly easy hike that allows travelers to experience the waterfalls of the area. Unfortunately, dogs are also not allowed on this trail.

Kalaloch Beach is generally considered one of the best Olympic Park beaches because of a combination of its size and ease of access off Highway 101. It offers sand shores, tons of trails, a campground, and a lodge. This beach is also famous for its Tree of Life and the Tree Root Cave beneath it.

La Push is one of the largest Olympic National Park beaches. It is actually divided into three different beaches named First, Second, and Third Beach. All three capture the stunning and occasionally stark coastal landscape of the Olympic Peninsula.

Port Angeles is a city and county seat of Clallam County, sitting on the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula, looking straight at Victoria. With a population estimated to be around 20,000, Port Angeles qualifies as quite a large city for the area. With a great variety of go-to travel destinations in the city, like Harbinger Winery, as well as being surrounded by outdoor destinations, Port Angeles is the perfect Olympic Peninsula home base.

From the point of view of Vancouver Island, It isnt overly difficult to reach the island or to even bring a vehicle. Once travelers have reached the island, getting around it is fairly easy regardless of whether travelers brought a vehicle or not. Vancouver Island may have a waterway between it and Vancouver, but between Victoria and Port Hardy, there is plenty for travelers on the Island itself. Vancouver Island has taller mountains and a scattering of small islands to explore on its coast too. Travelers shouldnt hesitate about venturing to Vancouver Island as it does offer travelers quite a lot.

Related: The Pacific Northwest Has The Most Sightings Of Bigfoot, So Here's Where To Go 'Squatching'

Starting near Port Hardy, this 12.7 km out-and-back hike is quite a challenging route. It usually takes just under four hours to complete. It is unlikely hikers will experience others as they trek through this stunning landscape. With stunning views of the water and dogs being 100% allowed, it's hard not to love this trail.

This 10 km out-and-back trail starts off near North Cowichan. It is considered a moderate hike, and it is a popular trail for birding, hiking, and walking. This being the case, hikers can expect to encounter others on the trail, but not too often. Dogs are welcome here, but they must be on a leash.

To the far north of Vancouver Island, travelers can discover Port Hardy. This town, as its name suggests, is located on a port with great access to the surrounding nature. Travelers can rent kayaks and venture into the water, or they can simply explore the area by land. Port Hardy also has access to ferries heading in a great many directions.

Victoria is a thriving city and popular travel destination. The city itself maintains its heritage architecture which gives it an old colonial feel. It also has easy access to much of the rest of the island. The city itself has much to explore and enjoy too.

See the rest here:

Olympic Peninsula Or Vancouver Island: Which Has More To Offer Travelers? - TheTravel

Ten years on, questions remain over the impact that the London 2012 Olympics has had in Stratford and beyond.

The London 2012 Olympics was set against ambitious promises of lasting change, from inspire a generation to regenerate an entire community.

Stratford, one of the countrys most deprived areas, would become a model for social inclusion, while millions of kids would take up sport for life.

So, 10 years on, what legacy has the games really left?

The redevelopment doesnt reflect its community

Unlike previous Olympics in which host cities failed to reap long-term rewards, London 2012 vowed to be different.

Sebastian Coe, Great Britains four-time Olympic gold medallist, spearheaded the bid to bring the games to London, and then chaired the organising committee to deliver it.

He promised to regenerate Stratford and the surrounding areas around Newham, pledging in 2007 that it would bring between 30,000 to 40,000 new homes around the Olympic Park.

These homes were to be affordable and available to key workers, he said.

In 2011, a year before the Olympics, the definition of affordable housing was loosened to include properties up to 80% of the market rate.

This means residents in the area who on average earn around 30,00 would now likely need an annual income of between 60,000 to 90,000 to buy one.

Today, against the original target of 30,000 to 40,000 new homes, just 13,000 have been built.

Only 11% of these are genuinely affordable social homes, where prices are linked to local incomes.

Nearly 75,000 households in the boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest are still waiting for council housing, while thousands of people have been rehoused outside of Newham to make way for redevelopment.

Luxury towers with penthouse flats now pierce the east London skyline.

Sian Berry, London Assembly member and former Green Party leader, has worked on monitoring the games impact on social housing and overcrowding.

People in surrounding areas are still living in overcrowded and over-expensive housing by and large, without the boost in social housing we should have had, the Highgate councillor told LondonWorld.

I think its clear that the area of the Olympic Park doesnt really reflect the surrounding area in the way it should have done.

It should have been planned and built far more with the community."

Once-in-a-generation opportunity

In the run-up to London 2012, the government proclaimed the games our best chance in a generation to encourage people to be more physically active.

The Olympics was seen as a way to motivate people to not just take up sport, but sustain it throughout their lives.

Around 1bn was invested by Whitehall into building a legacy of participation. Yet five years after the Games, virtually no increase in participation in England was recorded.

Recent statistics from Sport England show how during the last five years, the percentage of people categorised as active has fallen, while the number classed as inactive has increased.

Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said London 2012 was a fabulous advert that ignited the imagination of young people, creating a step change in opportunities.

However, in 2022, 10 years on we have more unhealthy and unhappy young people than ever, she said.

Childhood obesity saw its biggest increase last year with one in four Year 6 pupils now obese and one in six young people with a probable mental health condition.

These statistics coincide with 42,000 hours of physical education lost since London hosted the games.

While 77% of parents are concerned that children are not getting enough physical activity, only a quarter know the chief medical officers recommendation is 60 active minutes a day to support a healthy childhood.

So, while some programmes have shifted the opportunity for some, we are far from the societal change needed at all levels from policy to parenting, if we are to build an active nation.

'Massive feat of urban regeneration'

National and regional governments have hailed the legacy of London 2012.

They say the impact of the games and its investment is already being felt, and that there is more to come, as redevelopment continues.

I am incredibly proud of the legacy we have delivered in the last 10 years, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said.

The games helped to drive billions of pounds of additional investment in the area for new, truly affordable homes, transport links, business districts and entertainment.

The mayor continued: The Olympic legacy is not just about celebrating the success of the last ten years, but looking forward to the next ten and the years beyond that in order to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.

A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it had invested 1bn into sport and leisure during the coronavirus pandemic, while 320m was now being invested in school sport and 250m in grassroots facilities.

"Over the past decade, we have made the nation's health and fitness a priority, the spokesperson said.

Lyn Garner, chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: The 2012 games provided the backdrop to a massive feat of urban regeneration that continues to have a huge impact on the city.

Thousands of new homes have already been built with thousands more still to come many of them affordable.

Ms Garner added: The park is delivering on the promises for local people and while we look back on 2012 with fondness, our eyes are firmly set on the future.

Read more:

London 2012: 10 years on, has the Olympics really built a legacy in east London? - LondonWorld

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Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Aug. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Starkey is proud to serve as the exclusive global supplier of hearing instruments for the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Healthy Hearing program at the 2022 Special Olympics Unified Cup, presented by Toyota and modelled after the FIFA World Cup. The competition, which began July 31 and runs through August 6, is being held in Detroit, Michigan, and welcomes over 300 footballers (soccer players) with and without intellectual disabilities from over 20 nations. Starkeys participation is a continuation of the global partnership made with Special Olympics International earlier this year, which pledged to increase access to hearing health services worldwide for individuals with intellectual disabilities; and follows Starkey Cares participation in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games this past June, which provided over 100 Special Olympics athletes with new Starkey hearing aids.

Starkey Cares is proud to partner with Special Olympics at the 2022 Unified Cup, said Starkey Owner and Chairman, Bill Austin. Together, we are providing athletes with the hearing health resources they need to be connected to their coaches, teams, and the people who love and support them.

In partnership with Special Olympics International, Starkey Cares is providing life-changing health services and hearing instruments to Special Olympics athletes around the world, while helping make healthy hearing more inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities. At the 2022 Unified Cup, Starkey is providing personalized hearing aids, follow-up recommendations, and education on the importance of regular hearing screenings for athletes participating in the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Healthy Hearing program. Prior to the global partnership launch this March, Starkey had a long-standing relationship with Special Olympics, providing athletes with hundreds of personalized hearing aids at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi 2019, and the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles 2015.

We are thrilled to have Starkey Cares with us at the 2022 Unified Cup in Detroit, and we are grateful for their commitment to show up and support Special Olympics athletes and their hearing health needs, says Dr. Alicia Bazzano, Chief Health Officer, Special Olympics International. To date, Starkey and Special Olympics have delivered over 2,700 hearing screenings to athletes and nearly 500 personally fitted hearing instruments. It is thanks to Starkey Cares that so many of our athletes can continue to succeed on and off the field.

This global event revolves around the common mission of celebrating the joy of sport and the power of inclusion through camaraderie, competition, and breaking down social barriers. The transformational concept of unified was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship. The mens and womens Division One finals will be streamed live at 2:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 6, from Keyworth Stadium home of the Detroit City Football Club to hundreds of millions of viewers across the globe by ESPN, the Global Broadcast Partner of Special Olympics International and the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports.

ESPN3 can be accessed by visiting http://www.espn.com/watch. ESPN will also be producing an hour-long Unified Cup special that will air on Saturday, August 13, at 3 p.m. EST on ESPN2 titled Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022.

About Starkey

Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Owned by Bill Austin since 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development, and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey has more than 5,000 employees, operates 29 facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.

About Special Olympics International

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health and leadership. With more than six million athletes and Special Olympics Unified Sports partners in over190 countries and territoriesand more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics deliversmore than 30 Olympic-type sportsand over100,000Games and competitionsevery year.

Engage with us on:Twitter,Facebook,TikTok, YouTube,Instagram,LinkedInandour blog on Medium. Learn more atwww.SpecialOlympics.org.

About Special Olympics Michigan

Special Olympics Michigan, Inc. (SOMI) provides year-round sports training and athletic competition to over 23,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and Unified partners (athletes without disabilities). Athletes develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy while participating in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship among their families, Special Olympics athletes, and the community. SOMI is a non-profit organization supported almost entirely by corporate and individual gifts and events. The generosity of Michigan organizations, individuals, and state-wide businesses enable the program to continue.

About Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022

The Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022 is made possible thanks to support from sponsors Toyota, ESPN, Ally Financial, Gallagher, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network, The Coca-Cola Company, Jersey Mikes Subs, The Real Estate One Charitable Foundation and Walmart. For more information, visit unifiedcup.org and stay up to date on our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Originally posted here:

Starkey Serves as Exclusive Hearing Health Partner for the Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022 - StreetInsider.com