media_artricles :: 2016

Thompson urges young athletes to prepare

MULTIPLE Olympic medallist Richard Thompson instilled the importance of preparation to young aspiring athletes when he hosted his second annual Primary Schools Track and Field Development Camp in conjunction with Atlantic at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, on Saturday.

Thompson along with performance specialist Shayne Cooper and 2016 Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Marcus Duncan took the youngsters through various exercises before ending the camp with races which the children were excited to compete in.

Thompson explained, "I would say all and all we had a great time.

The kids learnt a lot, they had fun. I put in their heads that it is important to understand that everything is a process." The three-time Olympian told the campers that athletes at any level must prepare before they venture into competitions.

"They were very eager to get into the racing which was at the end of the camp but I took them through the drills and the stretches and the little strength exercises.

I think that it's important for them to understand as professional athletes or even athletes at collegiate level or high school level they don't just go into running.

What they do is they warm up first and train every single day.

It is an entire process." Thompson praised Atlantic for their initiative and said it is essential for TT athletes to give back.

"Atlantic has an amazing Ambassador Programme. I think the main objective of Atlantic having people like myself, George Bovell, Andrew Lewis, the cricketers as well on board, is to give back to the people of TT in the respective communities in particular the young kids of TT ." Thompson added, "It is not only being done in track and field, it is being done in sailing, Andrew Lewis recently had a camp as well. George has had camps over the years with Atlantic, the cricketers as well including Merissa (Aguilleira).

The Atlantic programme is just amazing and I am honoured to be part of it and to put on events like today (last Saturday)." West Indies Women's cricketer Aguilleira and West Indies cricketers Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine are also Atlantic Sport Brand Ambassadors.

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