The International Olympic Academy organized a seminar for young athletes on June 19-July 3 in Olympia, Greece and Armenia was one of the 90 countries participating.
Usually, young athletes, trainers, sport journalists, sport doctors and other specialists take part in the academy’s meetings-people who believe in the Olympic slogan “winning isn’t everything”.
Honorable president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Juan Antonio Samaranch also takes part in the meetings. This year, sport trainer Christina Keshishyan and sport journalist Mary Aharonyan represented Armenia at the meeting. Both teach at the Yerevan State Institute of Physical Education. There were no representatives from Azerbaijan and one of the Turkish participants was Armenian by origin.
“I was amazed to see one of the Turkish participants come up to me and greet me in Armenian,” said Keshishyan.
All participants listened to lectures on “Etiquette and sports”, “Doping in sports”, “What’s a fair game?” and “Women and Olympics”, attended different sport events and took part in debates. The two Armenian female participants must acquire what they learn from the lectures to help Armenia progress in sports. Christina Keshishyan has been participating in this seminar for the second time and doesn’t really have any outlooks for Armenia.
“The important thing is to get as many people participating as possible because the main goal of the Olympics is to establish peace and improve international relations,” says Keshishyan.
The Olympics don’t train athletes; rather they create an athletic environment. According to Keshishyan, you need to get experience, see how they train athletes and how you can apply the same principles in life. She is worried over the unhealthy lifestyle of Armenians in Armenia.
– We hear a lot about “Healthy Lifestyle”, but there are few people who actually get out and exercise at least two hours a week.
– Man moves from the first day he comes into this world. If he moves, then he has to be involved in some sport. He doesn’t have to achieve great heights. He simply has to live healthy. What does “healthy lifestyle” mean? It simply means to move, eat right, work out and relax at the right time in order to stay healthy. You have to go to the gym and exercise. Nowadays, many parents prefer having their children sit in front of the computer and don’t really care about sports. Children face the consequences later on-back aches, visual problems…
– Now you have to pay fees at fitness centers, families can’t afford it and it’s hard.
– I agree with that. Nothing is free. The state needs to think about that. To this day, there are no school gyms in Armenia. The school principals consider gyms as secondary, not to mention the furnishings, locker rooms and bathrooms. Students don’t want to go to P.E. classes because they are then forced to attend their other classes sweaty. Don’t get me started with the professional athletes of Armenia. Armenia needs gyms corresponding to international standards, but we don’t have any. Today, Armenian female athletes representing Armenia train for a couple of hours in a gym that doesn’t even have hot water. There have to be shower rooms and saunas. Even the altitude of the ceiling must correspond to international standards. I haven’t played in the big leagues for ten years now, but Armenian gyms haven’t changed. It’s the same gym, only older. The Hrant Shahinyan gym is currently under reconstruction, however, let’s not forget that sports progressed during the years when that gym wasn’t functioning. Armenia is cut off from the rest of the world.
– Is it due to lack of financing?
-You need financing for normal trainings, good nutrition and to send athletes to competitions. Professional sports is a very complicated field-you need to get experience and share that with others. The rules of sport change quickly and you need to keep up with the pace.
– You’re also a shaping trainer. Are fitness and shaping the two most common sports in Armenia today?
– Fitness and shaping help keep you fit and of course they’re common. Fitness is a type of sport because there are fitness competitions and participants get points. Fitness is the same as exercise and it has its own standards. Shaping and aerobics are not about getting points, but rather improving health conditions, regulating weight, changing the mood you’re in and increasing your lifespan. Many people don’t really understand why they go to the gym. One time, a fat woman was amazed to see a thin girl exercising with her. She said: “Why is she wasting her time in a gym?” We must understand that no matter if you are fat or thin, tall or short, have hands or not, he has to exercise in order to stay healthy. Remember-one exercise is worth a hundred drugs. We Armenians are used to setting aside time and money for buying new clothes or going to a fancy restaurant, but we don’t find the time and money for staying in shape. We place higher emphasis on formalities than our bodies.
– Perhaps there should be something to motivate people.
-There have been many times when people have listened to what I’ve had to say, thought about it, and then called me for a month just to come exercise. That inspiration only lasted one month. People don’t even want to learn how to swim. I’m amazed when I see how some people going to “WaterWorld” not only don’t know how to swim, but also don’t want to. Money is not the important thing-after all, you can spend the same amount of money for a ticket to “WaterWorld” for swimming lessons. I understand that the social/economic status is not good, but you have to think ahead.
– Fitness is a new sport, but are there any plans to come up with new sports?
– Of course. If man creates, he comes up with new things. There are no limits. Americans are mainly the ones creating new sports by making movements and trying to compete in world tournaments.
– Did the different ethnicities that had come to Greece to participate know about Armenia?
– Many people didn’t even know where Armenia is located on the map and were certain that Armenia is a Muslim country. We used to open the map and show them where Armenia is. We even told them that the bust of the first Armenian Olympic champion Varazdat is installed in Greece and he is the only one.