Olympic Day 2011, Bowles Trail Opening
Thursday morning the Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation Department kicked off Olympic Day in Grand Prairie and held a ribbon cutting ceremony at its newest walking trail circles Bowles Life Center.
Grand Prairie, one of only 115 cities nationwide selected to be Official Hosts of Olympic Day 2011, celebrated the day with a mini-Olympics for children aged 6-12.
In the mini-Olympics, participants competed in the long jump, obstacle course challenge and softball toss. Running events included a 50m dash for 6 to 8 year-olds, 75m dash for ages 9 to 10 and a 100m dash race for participants who are ages 11 to 12. All participants were awarded medals and Olympic Day certificates.
Olympic Athlete and University of Texas alumnus Andrea Hayes-Dickson was a very special guest. The former three-time National Champion in Swimming at the University of Texas, Hayes-Dickson, represented the U.S. at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul Korea, participating in the backstroke. She is best known for winning a gold medal at the inaugural 1985 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
The 2011 Olympic Day was a celebration commemorating the birth of the modern Olympic Games and an effort to promote fitness and well-being in addition to Olympic ideals of Fair Play, Perseverance, Respect and Sportsmanship.
