The Tokyo Olympics are here, but given the distance and the limited capacity of events this year, alas, we at SpotHero won’t be able to attend. So, in celebration of this year’s Olympic games and the amazing athletes participating, we’ve come up with a few alternative events anyone can participate in from their homeland. Safe for all skill levels!
Modern Pentathlon
This five-part competition has the distinct honor of being the only sport created solely for the modern Olympic games. An event that prompts more than a few questions from first-time viewers, participants compete across five disciplines over two days: Fencing, swimming, horseback riding, distance running, and sharpshooting—which they do during the distance run! Competitors are scored on their speed as well as their skill, the highest score combined with the first person to cross the finish line in the distance run wins!
SpotHero’s At-Home Alternative: The Run All Your Errands in One Day
Well, you may not be able to ride a horse through an obstacle course or fire a laser pistol while running, but you can drive to the grocery store, the drug store, the dry cleaners…you get the idea; it’s a race to the finish and a challenge not to get stuck at every light, not to mention quite the endurance test. Even if you don’t beat your best time, you end up with an empty to-do list, that’s a win for sure.
Gymnastics
Perhaps one of the most popular Olympic sports, gymnastics comprises several events that combine agility, flexibility, and strength. You may not know the names of all the moves or the categories, but no doubt you’re familiar with the images of competitors flipping through the air at truly dizzying speeds.
SpotHero’s At-Home Alternative: The Parallel Park Successfully in a Tight Spot
If flipping through the air is impossible without grievous bodily harm, try to maneuver your car into a tight street spot. The contortions on your face as you try to scootch in are bound to rival any top gymnast’s floor routine.
Swimming
It wouldn’t be the Olympics without swimmers wowing us with the butterfly stroke. Over a number of distances, swimmers compete to be the fastest in four additional categories: backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and individual medley, in which a competitor must do four laps, each a different type of stroke!
SpotHero’s At-Home Alternative: The Drive Through a Puddle Without Making a Mess
Can you plow your car through a massive puddle without spraying everything and everybody in sight? Challenge yourself! Pedestrians the world over will thank you, and so will your car!
Sprint Racing
A better title for this event might be “blink and you’ll miss them,” as competitors race to be the fastest on the track. Mission accomplished: in the qualifying trials for the 100-meter dash this year, the winner crossed the finish line in only ten seconds!
SpotHero’s At-Home Alternative: The Park Far Away and Walk
Running Errands? Heading to the office? Use SpotHero to reserve a spot farther from your destination and get those steps in! Through the app and the website, you can sort spots by distance from your destination, and pick the location that works best for you!
What are your At-Home Olympic events? Let us know!