Lizard Adventure Travel

Last Friday, I had the positive experience of taking the media from the Olympic Torch Relay on one of my tours.  The excitement and stories shared between the groups were fantastic.  They were reporting on the Olympic vision and hoped to extend the importance of this venture to their viewers and readers back home.  Cultures came together to share a motivational experience, and it was upsetting to see their work disrupted by several hundred protesters, that wanted to voice their anger towards the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.    

For me, the Olympics is a once in a lifetime experience that represents so much more than competitive sport.  In my eyes the Olympic Games help to unite communities, and create an intangible form of motivation for all ages.  Children look up to Olympic athletes, hoping to one day achieve a personal goal or to 'beat the odds'.  Most Canadian Olympic Athletes live below the poverty line, and overcome great struggles to reach where they are today.  It is a true inspiration (even as an adult) to look at the athletes that have sacrificed in so many areas, and to witness success is truly humbling. 

The protestors were demonstrating for a variety of reasons, but their primary concerns were towards the billions being spent on the Olympics instead of housing and health care.  It is easy to get upset with the protestors -why stomp on an event that is a motivational experience for so many people? 

Personally, organized sport has been a vital part of my life; I even went on to study Human Kinetics at university and currently work towards promoting physical activity through my own company.  The benefits of physical activity and organized sport are intangible and the Olympic Torch Relay represents so much of what I believe in.  Although I was upset and annoyed as the protesters took over, I did re-evaluate my position as I headed home along Pandora Street, in Victoria. 

Pandora Street is just one of the many streets in Victoria that is occupied with homeless and less fortunate people that need help from our government.  How does the government find so much money to transfer an Olympic Torch around the entire country - yet we can't muster up enough money to help the people that are living on our streets?  What are the priorities of the Canadian government?

I discovered that the Olympic Torch Relay is a 106-day journey, spanning a total of 45,000-kilometres.  Not only am I worried about the money that has been redirected away from the housing and health care issues, but how many fossil fuels were produced to transport the hundreds of staff around the country (300+ people from what I last heard)?  This endeavor conflicts a shared human understanding that everyone should have access to the basic needs of life (housing, food and health service), and further conflicts with my efforts to consume and produce less in our struggling environment.  

Although the journey is one of motivation and inspires many - does that intangible profit out weigh the benefits that could be drawn from investing the money in our less fortunate sectors of the community? 

After careful thought I'm still in support of the Olympic movement, but I would like to see more community discussion around the true impact of external events (i.e. Torch Relay).  Could we possibly look at cutting back on external traditions that require a lot of money, and look towards what areas might be in more need?  Not sure what the solution is - but I do feel strongly that the protestors could voice their opinion in a different manner - what message does it send to crash a family event?  Doesn't solve anything, especially when it harms the inspirations of young children and risks the safety of bystanders!

The flame arrived atthe B.C. legislature after being carried in a traditional West Coastnative dugout canoe by First Nations paddlers. (CBC)

Olympic medallists Simon Whitfield and Catriona Le May Doan kicked off the Olympic torch relay in Victoria on Friday. (CBC)

Protestors make no apologies for distrupting relay. (Globe and Mail)