February 20th. The sun was shining as if it were a summer day. The group arrived, and it wasn't just any group: Olympic athletes, members of the Portuguese Olympic Committee, and members of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC). The destination? Quinta do Pisão, in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. From the meeting point to the planting site, the journey was for the bravest, as the bumps of the typical countryside tractor were unforgiving. Hold on tight, the journey is about to begin.
With everyone ready, the rangers taught the gardening ABCs needed for that day – and why it's so important to get hands-on. Efforts have been made to replant this area, which even after a major fire refuses to be shaken. This, hand in hand with the need to counteract the extra pollution caused by the CO2 emissions the ANOC General Assembly in October will bring. Cascais will host the 18th edition, between October 28th and November 2nd, but the starting whistle is heard now.
When it came time to act, the truth is that the rangers had already done all the groundwork. The holes were dug – among sailing, judo, or athletics professionals, wielding a gardening tools might not be part of the training plan –, and thus time was also saved to break records for the number of trees planted in the soil.
Gloves on and hands in the soil, tree after tree
The athletes, being competitive in and out of their sports, exceeded expectations. Before the scheduled time, the park rangers had to dig an additional row of holes, and the question on everyone's lips was: "Is there another one?". When the scores were tallied, the impressive results were announced: more than 450 trees of various types were planted just that morning. The Olympic athletes and committee members demonstrated the importance of such events in reinforcing environmental sustainability in sports and in Cascais. "Athletes are really an excellent example for society. What they do, what they say. They are examples for the younger ones, so having athletes join these actions and initiatives works even better," said Victoria Cabezas, President of the ANOC Sustainability Commission.
With a sense of duty fulfilled, everyone made the tractor journey back, wondering when they might have such an experience again. But as they left, they ensured it was not a goodbye, but a see you later: they want to return to Quinta do Pisão in a few years to see how much their trees have grown and to rest in the shade of one of them.