Macau casino firm Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd (GEG) and the Macau Special Olympics (MSO) association have launched this year’s edition of the “GEG Run with a Partner Training Programme”, now in its fifth year.
The programme, according to a written announcement, connects members of “GEG Runner’s Club” – under the company’s Staff Social Club – “to conduct regular long-distance running training with MSO athletes, and to jointly participate in sports events such as the Galaxy Entertainment Macao International Marathon”.
To celebrate the programme’s fifth anniversary, representatives of Galaxy Entertainment and MSO visited “several schools, social service organisations, and the back-of-house areas of Galaxy Entertainment,” in a bid to expand the programme’s community outreach.
The effort allowed the organisers to introduce the initiative to nearly 1,500 teachers, students, social service organisation workers and users of their services, as well as the casino firm’s employees.
“These efforts, aimed at encouraging aspiring participants and athletes with special needs to join the programme, highlighted the programme’s achievements,” stated the casino concessionaire.
The organisers held recently a ceremony to welcome new participants and launch the programme’s “Fifth Anniversary Event Series”.
The update cited Siu Yu Hong, national director of MSO, as saying: “We appreciate Galaxy Entertainment’s continued support for MSO and the joint launch of the ‘GEG Run with a Partner Training Programme’ in 2021.”
“Over the past five years, many MSO athletes have surpassed their limits and successfully completed marathon events, thanks to the encouragement and companionship of GEG Runner’s Club members,” he added. “The programme has certainly helped our athletes build greater confidence and courage.”
Mr Siu said he hopes that the programme will help more athletes with special needs, students, and young runners in exploring the “opportunity to discover their potential and showcase the spirit of inclusion and sportsmanship in the community”.
The “GEG Run with a Partner Training Programme” provides participants with a structured, months-long training course, covering topics such as interacting with individuals with special needs and marathon pacing techniques, according to the release. Athletes are paired with guide runners based on their physical abilities and needs.
Kate Kwan, a Galaxy Entertainment employee who has joined the programme since its launch, said the initiative has been “exceptionally rewarding”.
“Accompanying MSO athletes through training and completing the marathons has taught me that being a guide is not just about ‘accompaniment’, but also about ‘mutual support’,” she stated.
“Their perseverance has deeply inspired me and shown me that the meaning of sports lies in mutual accomplishment, rather of personal goals,” Ms Kwan added.
