BVI & USVI Olympic Youth Camp participants L-R, Mohamid Abiff, Lenice Lewis, Bryshaun Scatliffe and Sasha Gumbs

ATHENS, Greece—The four U.S. and British Virgin Islands participants attending the Aug. 11-26 Olympic Games youth camp, were reunited with their respective delegations in the Olympic Games Village on Friday, as a part of their program of activities.

The USVI’s Sasha Gumbs and Mohamid Abiff and their BVI counterparts Leniece Lewis and Bryshaun Scatliffe had a full day. They toured the Olympic Games Village, had lunch in the main dining hall, met V.I. and other athletes including Lavorne Jones after she advanced to the 100 meters quarter finals. They also took pictures with other athletes, toured their respective team offices and living quarters, then had chances to call home and use the internet.

The V.I. campers who joined participants from 200 other countries said they have been enjoying the camp. “There were certain things I’ve been expecting but overall, it has been a fun experience,” Abiff said. “I’ve learnt a lot of things including Greek history. I’ve also learnt about different cultures. It has been run.”

Leniece Lewis with Jamaica's 110 hurdler Brigette Foster

Among his choice of Olympic Games activities, Abiff, a wrestler who’s also into basketball has attended Fencing, Archery and Boxing events. “I want to learn different things and since I’m here, I might as well try to learn about different sports so I signed up for something different—something that I won’t be able to see if I was in the Virgin Islands.”

Abiff said his Olympic Games Village visit was exciting. “It really makes me want to come back here for the 2008 Olympics in China. It really makes me what to come back. I like the atmosphere—a bunch of competitors around in the same place—everybody having the same mind set of wanting to win, wanting to compete and representing their country. It’s a good feeling and I wan to come back.”

Bryshaun and Leniece with BVI sprinter Dion Crabbe

Scatliffe said his camp base has been a bit of a culture shock as he’s learning different habits of some of his European mates. “But, it’s going good and I like it,” Scatliffe said, noting that he attended a basketball game where he saw China’s Yow Ming playing against Spain. He also attended field hockey, baseball and archery. “I’ve only really been meeting people from the Caribbean because they speak English. The other people only speak French and Portuguese.”

Scatliffe said he liked the Olympic Games Village setting. “Oh, it’s much better than the camp. I want to stay here man and the food is good,” he noted. “But, I’m now looking forward to our trip to one of the Greeks islands.”

Gumbs said she enjoying the camp but Greek food is very different. “I’m also meeting people from countries I can’t even pronounce,” she said. “I’ve had a chance to go to tennis and saw the USA vs Australia basketball game. I also went to shooting which wasn’t very exciting but it was a new experience.”

Lewis said for her, the camp is a totally new experience. “I’m meeting a lot of different people from countries I had no idea existed, but its fun,” said Lewis who now has friends from Palau, Fiji, Nieu and Van Vatu among others. “In one week it will be over, but I’m not really looking forward to going back home as yet.”

Leniece and her buddy Antigua's Janil Williams

Among the exciting things for Lewis who competes in track and field, was being able to see some of the Olympic Games events including basketball, swimming, table tennis and fencing. “I got to meet some of the athletes I’ll be competing against in the next four years,” she said. “Going on visits to Acropolis and the Temple of Poseidon were interesting, but I’m looking forward to going to the beach—finally. We are going on a cruise to one of the famous islands and that should be exciting.”

Lewis too was enjoyed the Olympic Games Village atmosphere. “The village is much more interesting than our camp, they have better rooms than we have, but I enjoy coming to see all the athletes and eating the food which is better than ours,” she said.

The campers had a ‘Walk in Athens Day’ on Wednesday where they learnt about Greek history and visited museums. On Thursday, they participated in a magic show. Today the participants will head to the beach before taking off on a 3-day tour to the Greek isle of Sepstes on Sunday.