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ADVENTURE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
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From the 9th to the 10th of June 2001 the
City of Vaasa will for the second time be organizing a Nationwide
Adventure Race for young people between 15 to 19 years of
age. An International Adventure Race is being planned to
take place in Vaasa next year.
The idea for the race was born from a need
to offer meaningful activities for the weekends soon after
schools break up for the summer, a period which has often
proved to be very problematic. Our purpose was to find activities
which would be meaningful and challenging enough to appeal
to young people and motivate them to participate.
 At
the time the idea of the Adventure Race for young people
was created people were more and more interested in looking
for adventure and experience as a pastime activity and a
way to keep fit. Also in Finland Adventure Races have already
been organized for a few years and activities involving
adventure and experience have been used as part of education
since the beginning of the 90's. After these experiences
it was only a question of time when the idea of the Adventure
Race for young people would see the daylight.
In June 2000 we organized the first race
covering 100 kilometres. The race attracted a very heterogenious
group. Nine teams of 35 young people wandered in the woods
and used the waterways of Vaasa and Mustasaari. The physical
fitness of the participants was very varied. Some were students
of the senior high school specializing in orienteering.
They had exercised a lot. The other extreme consisted of
young people who had had hardly any other exercise than
occasional walks to school. All in all we were greatly surprised
to see that of those 35 who started off 34 finished the
race. The greatest surprise of all was the fact that even
those who did not believe to make it actually did.
The race this year covers 120 kilometres
and includes at least the following events: roller skating,
orienteering/running, paddling, all terrain biking, water
and climbing events. The race starts on Saturday morning
at about 8 o'clock and breaks up for the night around 10
o'clock p.m. On Sunday the race goes on with the final 40
kilometres from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Considering the young age
of the competitors special attention is paid to security.
Our aim this year just as in previous years
is to give every participant a souvenir and a prize to take
home. It is very important to notice every participant particularly
when we want to suggest also in practice that the idea is
not to win but participate and do one's best.
In short, during the second weekend in June
there will again be a joyful meeting in Vaasa and everybody
will be richer with these many experiences.
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