The Richmond Oval was abuzz with the Olympic spirit Monday as around 2,500 elementary school students from across the city attempted to go faster, higher, and stronger at a wide variety of sports.
Helping guide, and maybe plant a seed for the future, were a number of current and former Canadian Olympians. One of them on hand was Richmond's Arjan Bhullar who has proudly worn the maple leaf at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.
Bhullar said he can relate to what events like this can mean to a youngster.
"This is where dreams can begin," said Bhullar who later this month is starting a wrestling program at the oval. "I was a little child like them.
Fourteen-years-old when Daniel Igali won his gold medal for Canada (Olympic wrestling, in 2000 Sydney, Australia). And I'm hoping to inspire some of these kids to be the next generation of wrestling champions to represent our country and be our nation's heroes."
Being at Olympic Day was also a source of inspiration for Bhullar.
"It's inspiring for me to see these kids and all the energy they bring, how excited they are about the sport and just about the Olympic Games," he said. "It means a lot to me. It energizes me."
Bhullar added the event is an investment in not only the future of sport in Canada, but children in general.
"A lot of people in this day and age are very materialistic, investing in other aspects and forget the family, when our kids are our real future."
One of those youngsters excited by the event was nine-year-old Holden Kanelopoulos who is in Grade 4 at Manoah Steves elementary.
"I think it was really cool, actually," he said, adding he tried his hand at table tennis, wrestling and speed skating, which was his favourite.
Asked if he sees a sports career ahead of him, he said his focus right now is to make it to Major League Baseball.
Fellow Steves student Alexander Vogel, who is in Grade 5, said his favourite sport at Olympic Day was fencing.
"I prefer that because you get to use swords," he said.
