Volume 1, August 2013

Welcome to Get Active!s first newsletter

Get Active! in 2013
It has been a very busy year so far for Get Active! In this first issue of the Get Active! newsletter you will find out more about what we have been doing since the beginning of the year, what we have planned for the months ahead and how you can get involved. We have been welcomed with open arms by all the communities along the West Coast, which has made the start up and implementation of our sporting activities so much easier. Read on to find out more.

What its all about

Get Active!s goal is to make a wide range of sporting activities accessible to more people on the West Coast of Mauritius by harnessing the proven power of sport to tackle social exclusion, physical inactivity and various health issues. Through sport and physical education young people learn about the importance of key values such as honesty, teamwork, fair play, respect for themselves and others, and adherence to rules. Participating in sporting activities also creates habits that encourage life-long participation in physical activity. This extends the impact of physical education beyond the schoolyard and highlights the potential impact of physical education on public health. Working together with local communities Get Active! aims to enhance inclusion and build social cohesion through sport and volunteering, resulting in higher levels of leadership, community engagement and altruism among young people.
win fun walk race championships run games enjoy team jump health laughter cricket play swim move energy

friends ball solo

ride throw

January 2013 Kicking off with an active start to the year

The year got off to a great start on the outskirts of Cascavelle village, with the Get Active! Detox Run on 20th January. As Get Active!s inaugural fundraising event, the idea was to get people back into action, shake of any excess from end of year festivities in a fun, family way and of course, to inform everyone about Get Active!s objectives. Even though the sun was not very intent on putting in an appearance, it did not stop over 150 participants from turning up; families, friends, running club members from various parts of the country and national athletes all came to run together. Three routes were set up to cater for all ages and abilities: 2km, 5km and 10km. There were some outstanding performances from the adults and children alike, with some of the children even having a go at the longer distances. Get Active! would like to thank all the participants for supporting this event and for helping us to raise over 24,000 Rupees.

February 2013 Get Active! goes out on the streets

February saw Get Active!s flagship project Street Athletics - get off to a flying start. The street athletics project consists of a series of communitybased competitions in the Black River District. All youngsters, aged 5 19 years, are invited to take part in a number of events: throws, jumps, distance running and sprints. The objective of street athletics is to break down the barriers that withhold youngsters from believing in their own talents and to encourage them to have the confidence to set themselves achievable ambitions for the future. The ultimate aim is that children from all backgrounds feel welcome to actively take part in these community events, providing the opportunity to broaden their existing horizons within sport and other non-sports related areas.

The most talented youngsters (from 11yrs onwards) from these community events are encouraged to attend weekly track and field training sessions at Bambous Stadium. By coaching, nurturing and supporting these young athletes on their sporting journey Get Active! hopes to eventually produce some athletes who will be good enough to represent Mauritius at the national or even international level one day. These youngsters are not only exposed to the practice and rules of sport but are instilled with positive values which will help them in other areas of their life such as respect, team work and punctuality. Get Active! currently coaches 20 30 children at the stadium but this number is set to grow as the project expands.

Help us change more lives through sport

If you would like to donate to the Get Active! Street Athletics Project transfers can be made to the Get Active! bank account: The Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd Account No: 000442121296 Any monies received will be used for transport costs, sports equipment and sportswear, prizes, etc.

Julio Revaud (second from right) I do my best, even when its hurting so that I can improve. I hope to run at national or international level one day, I would be proud to fly the colours of my country like Stephan Buckland did.

March 2013 Paddle Fest

The La Chaux River Paddle Fest was a first for Get Active!. It was a fun, family kayak event, organised by Get Active! and hosted by Native Lodge in Mahebourg. Located right on the banks of the river, the lodge offered the perfect setting for this event, with a platform on the river for the start of the races and a large garden for spectators to relax and watch. Participants could race in a double or single kayak or those with a bit of balance could try their hand at a stand-up paddle race. The 1.3km course was dotted with scenes of local village life and children swimming and jumping in and out of the river; amazing views of Lion Mountain and the lush, Ferney Valley could also been seen from the mouth of the estuary. Participants were treated to a well-earned mouthwatering feast when they got back to the lodge; a spit roast, selection of salads and gratins on the menu followed by a variety of deserts made up from seasonal fruits. The afternoon, filled with lots of games and other activities, was over before we knew it. Those who couldnt make it this year, put it in your calendar for next year, this is one event thats not to be missed!

April 2013 Regional and National U11 & U13 Championships

April marked the start of this years athletics season and 7 Get Active! athletes were selected to take part in the Regional U11 and U13 Championships. Having only attended 3 training sessions at the stadium, where they learnt about running in the right lane on the track, were taught the finer details of long jump and explained how to throw the hammer, they performed exceedingly well on the day; each athlete qualifying for the National Championships, just two weeks later. With a bit more self-confidence in their stride and bags of enthusiasm, the youngsters went on to bring home 2 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals at the National Championships. Gaelle Marianne, the barefoot gazelle, won a gold medal in the 50m sprint and came second in the long jump. Sueva Loustau-Lalanne, despite an early fall in the 500m race, picked herself up and made a spectacular comeback to finish in third place. Sueva won another bronze medal in the long jump final. Julio Revaud, who has had 2 major operations, won the silver in the long jump with his magnificent natural technique. Wylan Latour won a gold medal in the hammer event, without ever having seen one, let alone having thrown one before. The U11 boys relay team (Brian Chicoree, Jordan Vuillebrun, Julio Revaud and Aldo Melisse) came in third despite having no experience whatsoever in passing a baton in the designated exchange zones. These youngsters were truly inspiring. With proper training, support and access to the right equipment and facilities Get Active! is confident that they will go far.

June 2013 Anyone for cricket?

On 15th June, Get Active! organised a cricket tournament at Riverland Sports Club, Tamarin, which turned out to be a great success. Following on from the start up of village cricket in Flic en Flac earlier in the year, cricket coach, Tim Cartwright has been conducting weekly cricket sessions at Riverland for the last couple of months. Tim came up with the idea of putting on friendly tournament to bring local cricket clubs together and to give youngsters an idea of what it is like to play in competitive matches. The competition, which was sponsored by Lloyd Jones Construction, was designed so that the matches were fast, lively and above all fun. The games were played on the tennis courts where teams batted for 12 overs each, making the matches shorter than usual. Playing with a tennis ball also means that no awkward or expensive equipment is necessary and makes the game accessible to all. The Dolphins Cricket Club took home the trophy for the senior players and the Wahoos won the junior event. The Best Batsman Award was presented to Corban Soll for his 34 runs in the final and Charlie Pearce was named Best Bowler of the competition. The Emcar Player of the Day was Luke PearsonTaylor who lead his team to victory with consistent all round performance with the bat and ball.

Get Active! is always keen to hear from anyone who would like to volunteer or support our projects in any way.

Support Get Active!

Its all thanks to you!
All Get Active! projects are dependent on the generous support of our donors; our success is built on the shoulders of our volunteers who devote a lot of time, energy and enthusiasm to our work. The continuity of our projects depends on your involvement in Get Active! in any possible way participation in our fun fund-raising events, support for our projects (through in-kind or financial donations), volunteering and spreading the word about what we are doing.

Together we can make a difference

If you would like to donate to the Get Active! Street Athletics Project, transfers can be made to the Get Active! bank account: The Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd Account No: 000442121296 Cheques should be made out to Get Active! and sent to: Get Active!, 6, Alle des Espadons, Flic en Flac, Black River District, Mauritius.

Get involved Upcoming fund-raising events

13th September 2013: 12th October 2013: 9th November 2013: 5th December 2013: Get Active! Relay Run Piton du Milieu Get Active! Quiz Night College du St. Esprit, Quatre Bornes Get Active! Get Muddy Off-Road Triathlon Bois Cheri Get Active! Talent Awards Domaine des Aubineaux

Registration for these events will be done on online, via the website, and by telephone text. Any additional information will be sent by email

If you would like to hold a fund-raising event on behalf of Get Active! or if you would like to support Get Active! as part of your fund-raising event, please email tim@active.mu or mc@active.mu or call (+230) 9176535.

Contact Information: Get Active! 6, Alle des Espadons Flic en Flac Black River Mauritius Phone: +230 917 6535 Email: getactive@active.mu Registered charity: No. 13155 Follow us on www.active.mu/ https://www.facebook.com/active.mu