On Oct. 27, the NYU Abu Dhabi Athletics Department organized the annual Pink Fitness Games to raise awareness for Breast Health Awareness Month. Several games were held including a team relay race and an “egg and spoon” relay race. Prizes were also made available for exceptional players. The Gazelle reached out to students involved to learn more about their experiences.

Hadiul Islam Navid, Class of 2024, described his experience of participating in the Pink Fitness Games: “The atmosphere was very energetic and enthusiastic. Everyone was enjoying themselves and it was such a relief after such a long day.” Navid also won several prizes, including self care kits and resistance bands.

Malika Singh, Class of 2025, shared similar sentiments with Navid. “The best part was the spirit and the energy that everyone brought to the field in order to honor the Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the breast cancer survivors,” Singh shared. “I learned that the energy and enthusiasm that playing alone can bring is nothing compared to what a team can get because when you are in a team, you have a lot more incentive to work harder because you don’t want to disappoint anyone else.”

What sets the Pink Fitness Games apart from any regular sports event is, of course, its mission to raise awareness about breast cancer. “We were given a brief about how we can tell if we have breast cancer by looking for lumps in the breast. We heard stories of breast cancer survivors right before we commenced the games. The idea of solidarity, to stand in solidarity with survivors, patients and families of patients was articulated really well,” Singh shared. “Sports make a great way of honoring a cause.”

There were two games, 15 minutes each. The first was a team relay which began with three burpees, followed by zigzagging around cones and then the bear crawl. After this, the next person starts after the person ahead with lateral cone travel, followed by reverse crab walk and then by scoring a penalty. Lastly, the player needs to run back.

The second game was another relay race with a racket and ball. The player has to spin around three times with the racket in hand, followed by moving backwards and crossing mini hurdles. The next person then starts with lunges and pole pathways and runs back to the initial position. All these were really fun activities and games that helped with team building and standing in solidarity for a common cause: Breast Cancer Awareness. NYUAD’s mascot, Faiza the Falcon was also present during the event.

In order to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all players wore pink. The Athletics Department also posted several pictures of the Pink Fitness Games on their Instagram page with the hashtags of #Pinktober, #gonyuad and #breastcancerawareness.