20 Μay 2008, Tibetan Olympics practise Day-Yoga, Swimming, High Jump and Javelin practise

I knew that there are 13 men and 10 women participants which were all to contest in a series of games from which they collected points. What i didn't know was that for some of the games, a lot of the athletes were competing for the first time. or example, when we went to the swimming pool, i realised that some of the athletes were not good at wimming and they were using rubber floaters to swim. Since i come from a nation of sea people, this looked to me funny in the first place, surealistic toο. Nevertheless, knowing that these are mountain people, it made perfect sence and most of all i felt strong respect for these athletes that took the courage to come as they are, not trying to prove anything but coming to enjoy and to learn. It was a wonderfull morning, watching these people training and being tought how to swim in a competing way by the Australian, New Zealander and European volunteersoon they had overcome their shyness and had were having fun like children! I was never a sports photographer and i felt very happy to be around people who were joining sports with the innosence of a child, instead of the mentality of a record machine.

In the afternoon we went up to the mountain from McLeog Ganj, to TCV, the Tibetan Children's Village, on the track of which were the High Jump and Javelin practise. The athletes on their practise were surrounded by children who live in the village. By then i was able to pick up which of the participants were experienced athletes and who weren't. And i was impressed on how much they were working as a team, how much they were helping, supporting and encouraging each other. Those who had experienced were more that willing to explaing things to their fellow athlete.

My first day in the Tibetan olympics started by sunrise with Yoga. Since i only had arrived the previous night, i didn't know anybody yet. But i just went there with my camera and i felt wellcome from the first moment. I had been travelling two days to come here, since i left Athens. But at the end of my first day i was feeling so wellcome and a part of this team of people that have such a loving, straight and innocent way to go along with things...