Local long distance star Alika Morgan returned last Tuesday with many memorable moments to share with her peers, having witnessed the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, China.
Morgan, along with top junior cyclist Geron Williams, was selected by the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) to attend the Olympic Youth Camp (OYC) from August 6th-17th.
The camp attracted some 409 foreign participants from 205 member states of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
During the camp, Morgan and other campers got a chance to interact with each other, play sports, experience local entertainment and visit scenic spots to give them a taste of the rich Chinese culture.
“The camp was really nice, I got a chance to visit all over China and to meet people from all over the world,” she said.
“A special part of the camp that I enjoyed was that we got to share our future goals with the other members of the camp.”
Morgan said that she made acquaintances with athletes from Russia, British Virgin Islands, and Kenya.
“My favourite part of the Games was the opening ceremony; it was the greatest display that I had ever seen and from the other opening ceremonies of the other Olympics that I watched on television, I think that this was the greatest,” Alika said.
And although the opening ceremony captivated Morgan, she said nothing can compare to the privilege of meeting some of the exceptional athletes at the Games.
Morgan said that she got the chance to see Michael Phelps, winner of an unprecedented eight gold medals at the Games, Usain Bolt who broke both the 100m and 200m records, and Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho.
“Nothing compared to when I saw Michael Phelps and Ronaldinho and even though I had seen Usain Bolt before, I was still excited to see him again,” she said.
“I am extremely thankful to the GOA for choosing me and for the people who have supported me throughout the years because without them I know that none of this would have been possible.”
She was most inspired by Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, winner of the Women’s 5000m, a race Morgan intends to qualify for in the 2012 London Olympics.
