Do young people know how to live healthily?

For over 30 years, we have been organizing the Olympics, in which nearly 17,000 participants take part each year. We believe that thanks to competitions like our Health Olympics of the Polish Red Cross with Biedronka, we have a real impact on the level of knowledge and awareness among the younger generation. Poland occupies a disgraceful position among the countries with a high percentage of children and adolescents with obesity. That is why we decided that the main theme of this year's edition of the Olympics would be a healthy diet and exercise. – emphasizes Michał Mikołajczyk, a member of the Management Board of the Polish Red Cross.

The Health Olympics of the Polish Red Cross with Biedronka is a competition intended for students in grades 6-8 of primary schools and secondary school students. The competition consists of four stages: school, regional, district, and finals. Participants in the school and regional stages solve a knowledge test covering issues related to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and physical activity as well as ecology. Youth who qualify for the district stage prepare health-promoting actions for their local community. Mainly, through these activities, participants of the Olympics teach healthy habits to their peers, parents, and teachers.

Once again, the main partner of the Olympics is the Biedronka store chain, one of the 5 pillars of sustainable development of which is promoting healthy eating habits.

For many years, we have been facilitating our customers in making shopping choices that lead to building a balanced diet. Year by year, our products have better and simpler compositions, and new, unique labels appear on the packaging. However, our efforts to promote healthy eating habits go beyond store shelves. We see how important it is to educate children and youth so that they can shape proper eating habits from an early age. That is why we have joined the Health Olympics organized by the Polish Red Cross once again. Due to its universal character, the Olympics has a chance to positively influence the building of eating habits among young people throughout Poland. – says Zofia Fabirkiewicz, Specialist for Sustainable Development of the Biedronka chain.

We are now starting the first stage of the Olympics. Thanks to the partnership with the Biedronka store chain, the school stage has been held virtually since last year. Students from all over Poland are solving tests online. What distinguishes our Olympics are the health-promoting actions that children and youth organize for their peers, parents, and teachers. In this way, we reach thousands of people from local communities and spread the idea of a healthy lifestyle. – adds Michał Mikołajczyk.

Only 32 participants from 2 age categories will reach the finals in June. The main prize in the Health Olympics of the Polish Red Cross with Biedronka is an index to the Faculty of Health Sciences at one of the universities that took the competition under honorary patronage. The winner of the Olympics from the secondary school category will decide whether to start studying at the Opole University or the Medical University of Łódź.