4vita in Nevis

18 May 2011

The new Star Event season kicked off a couple of weeks ago with the first three races on the sunny Caribbean island of Nevis and 4vita was there to assure that the unique sport experience will be accompanied by relevant efforts in the area of sustainability.

Despite its high importance, the environmental impact of the race itself was not the only concern of 4vita. Other objectives included raising the awareness of environmental and health issues among local community and making them participate in various actions promoting sustainable development.

What was done with our local partners

The week leading to TriStar races started with two days of cleanup. The idea of keeping the island tidy through collective action is not really new. Each year, Miriam Knorr of the Environmental Action Committee, a subcommittee of the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, organizes a Clean Island Sweep. Joining forces with 4vita and shifting its date to make it coincide with the TriStar Nevis Event enabled to execute this action on a larger scale and get more people involved. Numerous neighbors, local companies and hotels joined the TriStar team and several athletes including Reggie Douglas and James Weekes to clean the island. Focusing mainly on the areas surrounding the race, volunteers cleaned their way through the Charlestown waterfront, Ouailie Beach and Gallows Bay. Great enthusiasm of the NYTC (Nevis Youth Tourism Council) combined with the material support of a local horse farm, the help of Solid Waste Management Nevis and Health Department… these were just few of the many elements of the whole mosaic that made both cleanups a great success. A big THANK YOU goes to all groups and volunteers involved in this conjoint initiative.

Still, the cleanups were not the only initiative organized by 4vita. The end of the week has been dedicated to health and its connection to, no surprises here, sports. The question of doing sports the right way became the main topic of seminars that were held free for a wide public. Seminars delivered by professional athletes participating in the TriStar Nevis race gave amateurs insight on how to approach sports from the right angle. Three sessions were focused on nutrition and strength training and information on how to enhance performance and prevent injuries. The audience has been pleased by the amount of interesting and useful information provided by their favorite athletes. During the rich round-table discussion that followed, Wolf Guembel and Emma-Kate Lidbury tried to answer all the questions raised by the inquisitive audience. The seminars were accompanied by a possibility to get a massage, or a free body-fat and muscle-balance analysis.

Seeing a great response from all the participants, 4vita will be pleased to visit Nevis again, promising an extended program for everyone to enjoy. Nevis can look forward to a week full of healthy lifestyle and sports advice also in 2012.