Olympic Day 2026

June 23rd is Olympic Day, which is a global celebration of sport and getting active.

The first Olympic day was held in 1948 when 9 countries, including Canada, held events. The backstory on why it is held on June 23 annually is kind of a fun one, you can check it out on the Olympics.com website.

The Let’s Move initiative aims to increase access to sports opportunities, and bring the health and societal benefits of physical activity to communities in all corners of the globe. Let’s Move encourages everyone to share how they are getting active on Olympic Day on social media using #LetsMove #OlympicDay and tagging @Olympics, and to therefore become a source of inspiration for others. (source: Olympics.com)

But what about Lethbridge?

Did you know there have been at least 59 Olympians and Paralympians have called Lethbridge home? We have compiled a list with bios, and you can check it out HERE. These are the ones we know of, of course there might be more. Our list dates back to the Paris 1924 games, and many have participated in the multiple Games. In 2024 we published a YQL Stories podcast season featuring 6 local Olympians, including Rachel Nicol, Kacie Bosch, Micheal Barwegen, Joe Meli, Larry Steinke, and Christa & Kelly Deguchi. You can find links to all the episodes HERE.

How can you participate in Olympic Day?

1. If you are an educator or coach, you could do Olympic-themed activities with your students and athletes. The Canadian Olympic Committee has an "Activity Challenge" that gives educators, coaches, and parents, some fun ways to introduce Olympic sports with basic equipment. The Lethbridge Sport Council also has a kit with printed instructions and the supplies you need to use them. If you'd like to borrow the kit, email [email protected]. Alternatively, you can access the online version of the kit HERE.  This would be a great addition to any year-end 'sports day' activities you might be planning.
2. If you have preschool-aged children, plan to come to Roving Gyms that day! Wear red for Team Canada, and try out a few Olympic Sports! You can register for Roving Gyms HERE
3. Plan some at-home fun! Our friends at Active for Life have a great article called "8 Summer Olympics-themed sports games for young kids". You don't have to do all 8, but your kids might want to!

However you celebrate Olympic Day on June 23rd, we want to hear about it! If you share pics on social media, be sure to use the hashtags above, and tag us, @lethbridgesport on Instagram and Facebook.