Aspiring Olympians took to field hockey, javelin and hammer throws on Friday in Chula Vista.
Sure, most, if not all of them, haven’t yet reached the seventh grade. But it’s never too early to start being active.
That was one of the main purposes of Olympic Day at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center – one of 700 nationwide events celebrating the birth of the modern Olympic Games.
“You might find the next Olympic champion or you might make someone just a bit more active and healthy,” Para-Olympic gold medalist David Wagner said of the event. “That’s the beauty of it.”
Kids who attended first went to an opening ceremony in the morning and then had a full day of sports activities.
Olympic Day was hatched around the world in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games. In the United States, Olympic Day events range from small gatherings to large, city-wide events.
Tyler Brown, BMX racer and track operator for Chula Vista BMX, helped out at the event and said it provides kids a chance to feel like real-live Olympians.
"It’s something you see on TV. Something that means a lot," he said. "To come out and give it a try yourself, I think it’s a lot fun for the kids."
