Olympians visit Jelgava schools event as part of the "Olympians in Schools with Rimi" project
The fourth regional event of the "Olympians in Schools with Rimi" project takes place on Wednesday at the Zemgale Olympic Centre in Jelgava for pupils in grades 5–8, including students from three Bauska municipality schools. The initiative aims to encourage physical activity, balanced nutrition and enough sleep.
On Wednesday, 28 October, the Zemgale Olympic Centre in Jelgava hosts the fourth regional event of the project "Olympians in Schools with Rimi". Pupils in grades 5–8 will attend, including students from three schools in Bauska municipality: Vecsaule, Misa and Zālīte primary schools. The project is run by the Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC) in cooperation with the retail company Rimi Latvia, and it aims to encourage pupils to move more, eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep. Project coordinator Ruta Millere-Celmiņa provided the details.
What the event offers
The Bauska pupils will be joined by students and teachers from Zemgale Secondary School, Jelgava Lielupe Secondary School and Jaunpils Primary School. They will meet well-known athletes in person, take part in educational activities and learn about a healthy lifestyle.
Olympic Games participants meeting the pupils include canoeist Roberts Akmens, ice hockey player and longtime Latvian national team captain Lauris Dārziņš, and short track speed skater Evita Krievāne. Others sharing their experience are Paris Paralympic Games medallist in shot put Emīls Dzilna, rower and European Championship medallist Elza Gulbe, and trap shooter Miķelis Ercmanis, a European U-18 Championship finalist and participant in the European Youth Olympic Festival. Clinical psychologist Aija Krišjāne, an expert with "Rimi for Kids", will talk about emotional well-being and healthy daily habits.
Why it matters
Organisers cite data from the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: only about 20% of Latvian teenagers reach the World Health Organization's recommended level of physical activity, at least 60 minutes a day. Excess weight or obesity affects 20–25% of children, and more than two thirds of young people do not get enough sleep on school days.
So that the knowledge does not remain a one-day experience, teachers receive special worksheets for lessons, and pupils get educational materials. The project also involves special education institutions.
Project timeline
This is the project's third season. Regional events have already been held in Riga, Vidzeme and Kurzeme, and the final event is planned for 3 November in Daugavpils. In the previous 2025/2026 school year, 24 schools and 2,685 pupils took part over two seasons. This year the organisers plan to involve up to 3,500 young people in person.
