A 20-year old artist has had his medal-design selected as the official design for the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games.
Zakea Page , from Wellington, said it’s a huge honour and he’s grateful and humbled.
"It’s an honour to represent New Zealand on the world stage," he said.
“It’s crazy (to win), it’s overwhelming and I’m still trying to process it. For the Olympic committee to believe in my work and believe in my art means a lot,”
"I’ve always loved the Olympics. My dream was to compete at the Olympic Games for New Zealand in field hockey, but last year I realised I just wasn’t good enough. This was an opportunity for me to still grasp that Olympic dream and be a part of all of that," he said.
Page said he’s the first person in New Zealand to design an Olympic medal.
His design beat nearly 300 other entries from 60 countries.
It was inspired by a quote from American civil rights activist and poet, Maya Angelou:
"In diversity there is beauty".
Page said it’s fitting because the Youth Olympic Games are not only a celebration of human excellence, but also of culture and humanity.
The spiral design consists of five pieces, each representing an Olympic ring.
"The spiral represents a culture of respect, friendship and excellence as young athletes gather at the Youth Olympic Games to celebrate their success," he said.
Page said it also celebrates the journey of hard work and dedication made by each individual athlete.
It’s the second time Page has entered the competition.
Lausanne 2020 President Virginie Faivre said it was tough to choose because there were so many beautiful designs.
"In the end I am very happy with the winning design, which looks stunning! I look forward to seeing it around the athletes’ necks at Lausanne 2020," she said.
Page has been invited to attend the opening ceremony of the games.
He’ll receive his own set of bronze, silver and gold medals.
Newshub.
