01 Mar Arnold Sports Festival worth checking out – in person or online

When not actually exercising or competing in a sport, one of the best things you can do is to learn about fitness.
Any fitness enthusiasts who will be near Columbus, Ohio, this March 4-7 are highly encouraged to check out the 2010 Arnold Sports Festival. The event is named in honor, of course, of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If you can’t attend, learn more about it on the Internet at: www.arnoldsportsfestival.com
There will be 44 combined sports and events, including 12 Olympic sports on display.
Since its creation in 1989 as a one-day professional men’s bodybuilding competition, the Arnold Festival has become the world’s largest multi-sport fitness weekend.
This weekend more than 170,000 sports fans are expected to watch approximately 18,000 athletes compete in a huge array of sports.
The Classic offers a little of everything: a chance for entertainment, to learn more about an area of interest or expose you to something completely new.
Five venues throughout Columbus will host the event — the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Franklin County Veterans Memorial, LC Pavilion, Nationwide Arena and the Dispatch Ice Haus.
In addition to the competitions such as bodybuilding and weightlifting, more than 700 fitness-related booths will be set up.
While there are great opportunities for adults to be entertained and learn, what many people don’t know is that lots of kids take part in the weekend, too.
Many of the participants are youths, who compete in events ranging from archery to boxing, fencing to figure skating, gymnastics to martial arts, skateboarding, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. The Arnold Sports Festival is a proving ground for many aspiring athletes, with hopefuls competing in 12 Olympic sports:  archery, boxing, fencing, figure skating, gymnastics, judo, karate, running, table tennis, tae kwon do, weightlifting, and wrestling.
As stated earlier, even if you can’t get to the Arnold Sports Festival this year, check out the Web site. Lots of interesting information is available and maybe it will tempt you to visit in a future year.
In Tuesday’s blog, I’ll share a conversation I had with one of the more unique competitors who will be there, strongman Andrew Durniat of Wooster, Ohio. He will contend in a series of “Mighty Mitts” competitions, matching men with the strongest grips in the world.