It's Olympic Day!

Happy worldwide Olympic Day to you!

As noted on past posts about the occasion to this site, June 23 celebrates the birth of the modern Olympic Movement in 1894. So, happy 123rd Birthday, Olympics!

For 2017, a series of events launched weeks ago with many culminating at special gatherings to encourage people to get out and get active.

I intend to celebrate with a brisk morning walk on the Atlanta Beltline near Piedmont Park (a friend and I recently walked it at 4 a.m. and it's a whole new park after dark).

The International Olympic Committee pages for Olympic Day share more history and current events tied to today. Here in the United States, the USOC also delves into Olympic Day participation options.

LA2024 and Paris2024 are also encouraging participation with a full roster of activities.

From a Los Angeles Olympic bid press release:

LA 2024, the LA84 Foundation, the USOC and The Foundation for Global Sports Development are hosting sports clinics for 500 young Angelenos at Will Rogers State Beach, hosting the American flagship Olympic Day Celebration. Young Angelenos will participate in eight Olympic and Paralympic sports including track and field, fencing, table tennis, volleyball, sitting volleyball, rugby, handball and gymnastics, joined by more than 30 Team USA Olympians and Paralympians.

The U.S. Olympic Committee interactive map of hundreds of Olympic Day events (about 2,400 of them) by state is available to show the coast-to-coast reach of this occasion.

Over in Paris, their Olympic Day press release details options:

In 2017, the whole of France will be decked out in the colours of Paris 2024 during this day, with some 100 activities offered over the whole country. In Paris, Olympic Day will become "Olympic Days" with the creation of a large sports field in the heard of the capital over two days, [creating] a full-scale preview of what the Olympic and Paralympic Games might be like in Paris in 2024. 

Public activities in the City of Light include a cross-city kayak, cycling and running event.

If time permits, here in Atlanta I may head downtown to Centennial Olympic Park to fist-bump the statue of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of all things modern Olympic, and wish his likeness a happy Olympic Day 2017 as well.

Photos via IOC