Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline

A motorcade will be held through the streets of Belize City for Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles next Thursday. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) made the announcement today via its Facebook page, inviting the general public to come out.

Biles made international headlines this past summer at the 2016 Olympics held in Rie de Janerio, Brazil; winning four gold medals. Biles also dominated headlines for claiming strong ties to Belize. She recalled her experiences in the country in several interviews and the relationship with her grandmother, who is of Belizean origin, was the subject of several articles.

The BTB had extended an invitation to Biles and her teammates following their historic performance in Rio. And while many are excited to see the young Olympian claiming Belizean roots, social media is already abuzz with criticism.

The motorcade will leave Biltmore Plaza, make its way down Cemetery Road, Orange Street, Albert Street and Battlefield Park. It begins at 4:00 p.m.



Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline

Simone Biles is coming to Belize!


Belize Tourism Board - Simon Biles Visit to Belize



Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline

Motorcade to welcome Simone Biles to Belize

Motorcade through Belize City on Thursday, December 22, 2016.




Simone Biles: Olympic Gold Medallist In Belize

Olympic Gold Medallist Simone Biles has arrived in Belize. However, her visit is welcomed by few Belizeans. While some are excited to see the young Olympian claiming Belizean roots, social media has been wrought criticism over Belize Tourism Board's means of promoting the country.


Simone Biles Calls Belize Her Second Home
I don't know how we ended up inside the Simone Biles motorcade in Belize City yesterday, but somehow during all the chaos we did. When asking to get ahead of it for media shots, a traffic officer directed us behind the police truck in the lead. LOL!! So there we were in the center of it all, in our little orange iTravel-mobile. All we could think of is wave back at the crowd. We were so excited to have met Simone. She is sweet, friendly and always carrying a big smile. Biles has been an inspiration to the Belize youth. She will be addressing students across the country during a motivational speech session at the Bliss Institute of Performing Arts on Thursday, December 29. Simone and her family were welcomed by hundreds in the city. A large crowd waited for her arrival at Battlefield Park in downtown Belize City where the motorcade ended. She was received with loud applause and was presented with gifts and the key to the city by Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley. Later that evening she was hosted by Prime Minister Dean Barrow and family at a private dinner.


Simone Biles Visits Belize on Christmas Vacation

Simone and her family were welcomed by hundreds in Belize City. A large crowd waited for her arrival at Battlefield Park in downtown Belize City where the motor cade ended. She was received with loud applause and was presented with gifts and the key to the city by Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley. She will spend her 2016 Christmas vacations in Belize.


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline

Simone Biles in Belize

Simone Arianne Biles, the 19-year-old world-famous superstar gymnast originally of the USA, but who has Belizean citizenship through her mother, Nellie Cayetano Biles, arrived in her second home, Belize, with fanfare, in answer to a special invitation from the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) to come relax in Belize after her stunning performance at the Rio Olympic Games in August.

For the BTB, the social media engagement with Biles, who immediately replied accepting the invitation, is a marketing strategy which has worked well in garnering attention for Belize while the world's attention was fixed on Biles. For Simone, though, she had no difficulty accepting the offer to come to Belize-the only place she fishes, a hobby she has been engaged in, in Belize since she was a little girl, although she officially attained her citizenship two years ago.

simone-biles-and-her-family

At a welcome press conference held at the Best Western Biltmore Plaza right after her arrival in Belize today, Biles, a petite Belizean-American 4 feet 8 inches tall, stood tall in conveying her key message to Belizean youth and athletes-that wielding mind over matter leads to success.

"It is pretty crazy how strong your mind can be when you put yourself and say you wanna do something and then you can achieve it," Biles said.

Biles has been unabashed about the fact that she had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition with which an increasing number of children are being diagnosed. We asked her about the challenges she has faced and how doing gymnastics has helped her to cope. She admits that ADHD has made it a bit challenging for her to concentrate in school as well as during some of her gym activities, but medication, in her case Ritalin, has helped.

"We're just like any other kid; it's just that we are a little bit more hyperactive, but other than that, we're fine," she said.

Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia said that Biles, who made history by garnering 19 Olympic and World Championship medals, has demonstrated that hard work does pay off. Biles, whom he called "a true Belizean at heart," took the time to remind the world of her Belizean connection, placing Belize on the world stage, the minister said.

Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber, Minister responsible for Youth, Education and Sports, said that there are key lessons for Belizeans at home and abroad: he said that the contributions of Belizeans abroad are as important as the contributions made by Belizeans here, and they should never be discounted.

He described Biles as a light which shines bright for young people here in Belize, adding later that Biles is "as Belizean as you can get." Notably, Biles' favorite food is Belize's national dish: rice and beans.

"It's my favorite and my mom makes it back home too so," said Biles.

Although there are many Belizeans who are welcoming Biles with open arms, among them are those who have expressed their dissatisfaction with the BTB, because, they contend, that the same gestures are not made to native Belizean athletes. Some of the criticism has been levied in social media posts, even as we go to press.

Minister Faber said: "I want to tell you there are some people who will have a few negative things to say. Let us deal with that. I have been watching on Facebook: 'Oh, the people who are local here, and this that. We don't do this that.' Listen, as I've said, we are Belizean, no matter where we are� we can put Belize on the map no matter where we reside."

Special Envoy for Women and Children, Kim Simplis-Barrow, who tonight hosted Simone and her family for dinner along with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, lauded Biles for her humility, noting that her beautiful smile beamed right through the television screens "and captivated us in a way that I don't think we will ever see again�"

Barrow told Biles, "�you have so many admirers in this country."

But Biles said that being in the limelight has been a challenge, since "�everyone is judging everything I do."

She never anticipated that her gestures in recognizing Belize would have yielded the results they have, but she wants to spend the time celebrating family in the place she loves. We asked her what the highlight of her trip would be and she said: "Just spend time with family. I hadn't got to do a whole lot of it this entire year, because I've been busy. I'm traveling all over, so that's the main thing."

Welcome motorcade held Thursday evening for Simone Biles, on the way to ceremony at Battlefield Park

Amandala






Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
One More Honour For Simone

Belize's guest of honour for the Christmas vacation Simone Biles has been named the Associated Press Female athlete of the Year. Biles received a total of 39 votes from editors and news directors out of a possible 59 to earn the honour. She beat out decorated tennis great Serena Williams.

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline


"Follow your dreams and have fun!" Simone Biles, an American Olympic gold medalist gymnast with Belizean roots inspired and motivated Belizean youth at the Bliss Center this morning.

Click photos for more pictures!



Link Copied to Clipboard
March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Cayo Espanto
Click for Cayo Espanto, and have your own private island
More Links
Click for exciting and adventurous tours of Belize with Katie Valk!
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 340 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums44
Topics79,199
Posts500,011
Members20,460
Most Online7,413
Nov 7th, 2021



AmbergrisCaye.com CayeCaulker.org HELP! Visitor Center Goods & Services San Pedro Town
BelizeSearch.com Message Board Lodging Diving Fishing Things to Do History
BelizeNews.com Maps Phonebook Belize Business Directory
BelizeCards.com Picture of the Day

The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members
and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5