Usain Bolt gives inspiration to young athletes at Rio base

The training session of world sprinting star Usain Bolt aroused the admiration of young spectators in north Rio de Janeiro. A case in point is 16-year-old João Victor Souza, who was inspired by the Jamaican legend and took a picture with him that became a social media sensation. “They say these children are from the most dangerous communities (favelas) here in Rio. They are our Future and I'm very happy I got to meet them #‎Rio2016 ,” Bolt wrote on his Facebook page.

“I do athletics too. He's a great source of inspiration,” said João Victor, who lives in a favela in north Rio. Bolt was surprised to see the amount of young people who came to the training base to watch, the boy recounts, adding that the athlete showed how normal, friendly, and humble he is. “He was a little scared, and came to us and said 'hello.' We answered and did the lightning bolt pose for the picture. I felt really happy. To see such a source of inspiration in person left me speechless,” he said.

After the encounter, the sprinter went off to practice and the young man took the opportunity to observe his movements from up close. In his last relay, in London, Bolt did 200m in 19.89 seconds. “It was good to watch him training. I started stretched my legs soon afterwards. He stretches too. I like to think that Bolt's watching me so I give my best. I do 100m in 11.50 seconds. I'm making progress, because I used to do it in 12,” he said.

For four years, 1.82 meter tall João Victor has competed in two disciplines: 100m and long jump. He is among the thousands of young people in the Sport Forces Program, a partnership between the Defense Minister and other federal agencies aimed at promoting social integration and human development through sports.

The initiative has been implemented across 74 cities in 25 Brazilian states, in institutions linked to the Navy, the Army, and the Air Forces. Close to 16 thousand children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 take part in the activities every year. The program also offers medical and dental care, as well as social work.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira