Online registration opens for July 28 Guardsman Games

Proceeds of the event, now in its fourth year, will help raise much-needed funds to assist the Guardsman Foundation’s charities, focused on youth development and empowerment.

The Guardsman Games comprises three events — the Guardsman Challenge, which is a six-kilometre race with more than 20 obstacles. The challenge also serves as a qualifying race for individuals to represent Jamaica at the Obstacle Course Race (OCR) World Championships in London, England.

The Games will also feature the exciting Power Games, a team event component and includes groups of four — two women and two men, competing against each other through challenges and obstacles. Not to be left out are the children, who will participate in the Tuff Kids Race.

The organiser of the Guardsman Games has revealed that all systems will be in place for the event at Hope Zoo, which is a well-designed facility for entertainment and fitness.

Activities of the premier obstacle course race in Jamaica are concentrated away from the animal population and towards the mountain that frames the beautiful property, which also hosts family and corporate events.

“The heavily vegetated area of the mountains, absorb most, if not all, the noise generated by the activities,” explained Chairman of the Guardsman Games and director of communications at Guardsman Foundation, Lieutenant Commander George Overton.  He added that decibel checkers are also used to make sure that noise levels are well within legal limits.

The daytime, athletic event is not a party.  It is expected to bring additional visitors to the area and provides for charities, without disturbing residents of nearby communities such as Hope Pastures and Mona Heights.

Overton anticipates an increase in the 47 teams, 347 competitors and over 2,700 onlookers who attended the last staging of the charity event.  Online registration is open now at  http://www.guardsmangames.com/.

Over the past three presentations, the Guardsman Games has benefitted three charities. The Boys of Hope, a programme for troubled youth in the criminal justice system and the Kind Hearts Foundation, which focuses on building schools in rural areas have cumulatively received $3 million. The Games’s proceeds also provided for a solar electricity generation system to be installed at the Bustamante Hospital for Children to the cost of over US$10,000.

Additionally, the Guardsman Games is an excellent fitness and wellness initiative being executed at a time when the Government of Jamaica encouraging Jamaicans to engage in exercise and to control the spread of non-communicable diseases.

“This inclusive event seeks to introduce a sport that everyone can participate in no matter what your age, height, or athletic ability. The Guardsman Games is a great way to get families, friends and colleagues being active together while having a lot of fun doing it,” Overton said.