By Abrianna Ohliger, Katherine Pastor, & Brooklyn Poland
We had an early start to our busy Monday with breakfast from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. The group enjoyed a spread of bacon, eggs, croissants, and fruit.
We checked out of Hôtel du Pin, said goodbye to Nice, and boarded our double-decker bus to make our way to Monaco! The 30-minute drive from Nice to Monaco was through the gorgeous hillside of the French Rivera. We enjoyed a birds-eye view of the quaint seaside towns.
Our first stop in Monaco was the headquarters of World Athletics, the international governing body of athletics which consists of 214 member federations. Carlo de Angelo, the Director of the Competitions and Events department at World Athletics, lectured on the history and mission of the company. Athletics is the name used for track and field in Europe and other parts of the world. World Athletics was founded in 1912 in Sweden, originally under the name IAAF. World Athletics was created to fulfill four needs: a world governing authority over athletics, a competition program, for standardized technical equipment, and a list of official world records. World Athletic’s aim is to further the development of athletics and make the sport reach a wider audience.
Following the introduction to World Athletics, we divided into two groups to take a tour of their headquarters. The halls were filled with many display cases of World Athletics heritage pieces like Olympic torches, championship medals, and cleats worn by notable runners.
We stopped by a few of the departments like the marketing, development, and governance departments to hear a summary of what their roles are. We even saw a poster of Ohio State legend, Jesse Owens.
After the tour, we regrouped and had a workshop discussing barriers to athletics, how to increase participation in the sport, and how to expand its fanbase. We split into four groups to brainstorm ideas. The barriers we identified were that many people in the U.S. view track and field as a secondary sport. They participate in track and field to stay in shape for their primary sport like basketball or soccer. To increase participation in athletics a group suggested having an event before the World Championship where children can come and participate in versions of the events that would be competed in the championship. An incentive to participate in this event could be a t-shirt.
World Athletes was kind enough to gift all of us a swag bag that had a World Athletics pin, lanyard, pen, and flyers.
When many hear the name “Monte-Carlo”, we instantly think of the stellar Disney movie featuring then child-star Selena Gomez. Many of us on the trip have spent countless hours watching the dreamlike movie that seems as if princesses and fairytales are only in the movies. However, in Monaco, princesses and princes are reality for the country. Monaco, ruled by Prince Albert II of Monaco, is the second smallest country in the world. We were graciously invited on a tour of the historic Monte-Carlo Country Club which is considered a mecca to those in the world of tennis. We should have known that the visit would be special when we saw top 10 ATP ranked tennis star Felix Auger Aliassime leaving the club after a few rounds of practice.
The Monte-Carlo Country Club opened its doors in 1928. The Monte-Carlo club and Monte-Carlo tournament have a rich intertwinement of history. The tournament, now known as The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters is held annually in April of each year. Only the top-notch tennis champions are welcomed to compete at this tournament for the glory of becoming champion of these historic grounds. Each April, the club opens its doors to the tournament, which takes place over the course of 9 days. The club welcomes around 136,000 spectators. Want to know a perk about being a member of the Monte-Carlo Club? Members enjoy free entry over the course of the tournament with great courtside, literally courtside, seats. Okay, so what is the price for the awesomeness? Only 1,900 euros annually (per person) after the initial fee of 8,000 euros. What is the catch? Well, you have to know existing club members, and those members need to give you a recommendation before you are considered to join the club. If anyone knows two members who can put in a good word for me, let me (Abrianna) know.
Throughout the tour we were able to see many facets of the club. My (Abrianna) favorite parts of the tour were observing the 21 clay courts that are found within the club, visiting the official locker room that players in the tournament grace each year, and touring the original locker rooms that members have used since the opening in 1928.
Fun Fact: The pool area pictured above is a favored spot by members in the hot summers of the French Rivera. However, the pool area turns into a full-scale restaurant when the tournament comes to the club.
After our visit to the Monte Carlo Country Club, we had time to explore the beautiful country of Monaco. Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, but what it lacks in terms of space, it excels in terms of beautiful coast lines, well-hidden walkways, and quality and diverse food.
Our free time allowed us to take a self guided walking tour of the country. The buildings were painted in vibrant shades of orange, pink, and yellow. Most of the buildings also had balconies overlooking the streets that were filled with sprouting foliage. Flags with the national seal lined the walkways, providing visitors an almost royal essence of the well historied country. (It feels like Genova in the Princess Diaries to all those Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews fans!)
Our free time allowed some of us to stop for a quick bite to eat. Most students ordered either homemade lasagna or fettuccine bolognese. We also made a quick stop at a nearby park. This park overlooked the Monaco coastline and Monaco Yacht Club. The views were stunning and plated placards gave small snippets of the park’s history. We all loved that the park was on rolling hills, covered with trees sprouting from every direction. We had to duck and dodge trees in order to keep on the path, but this was intentionally done to preserve the beauty of the park.
We then met with the rest of the group and started our journey to Nîmes, France. Some students chose to get in a much needed nap, while others opted to view the rolling vineyards of the countryside. After a four a half hour bus ride (side note- our bus driver, Ivan, is amazing!) we arrived at our third hotel of the trip. We quickly unpacked and walked to a nearby restaurant where we were able to enjoy a meal and good conversation.
Coupling two amazing lectures with a picturesque country, it is safe to say that day four has been our favorite thus far. We thank World Athletics and the Monte Carlo Country Club for providing such amazing hospitality, and we thank the country of Monaco for letting us live as royalty for a day.
