An update on the day’s events.
MORNING
· This Saturday, 4 June, the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay bid a fond farewell to Paraiba in the town of Mamanguape, and then crossed into Rio Grande do Norte, calling in at Sao Jose de Mipibu and Parnamirim. The relay will end the day in the state capital, Natal.
· In Mamanguape, the Joia Rara square dancers entertained the public in front of the Mother Church of São Pedro e São Paulo.
· Neyvile Oliveira, 15, wrote his first book at the age of 13 and succeeded in getting it published at 14. It is a novel of suspense, inspired by the legends associated with his local school, the Mamanguape Modern Institute. "It is an enormous privilege to participate in this moment. I am sure that, when I get home, I will practically be able to write another book," he said.
· Beatriz Menezes, 21, had to choose between sport and study. She took up gymnastics first, and then diving, but she never gave up entirely on sport. She dreams of training and competing once again, and taking part regularly in sporting activities. For this reason, she volunteered to help out at the Rio 2016 Games and today carried the Olympic Torch in her hometown, Mamanguape. "Every athlete dreams of competing in the Olympic Games, and knows that the Olympic Torch is not just about a flame. For me, this is a dream come true, and makes me proud," she said.
· In Sao Jose de Mipibu, the square in front of the Church of Santana e São Joaquim was the setting for the celebrations, with music from the Orquestra Sanfônica do Museu do Vaqueiro (Cattle Herders’ Museum Accordion Orchestra), 19 children playing accordions, triangles, zabumba drums, cowbells and tambourines. According to the Town Hall, over 10,000 people turned out to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay.
· Antônio Neto began swimming because his father was afraid that he would drown when the family was relaxing by the pool. Today he holds three state titles and is a member of the Rio Grande do Norte state swimming team. "I swim because I really love it, and devote my time to what I love doing most. I began winning and just celebrated. I’m only 15, but now I can compete in future Olympic Games. This flame will only make me train all the harder and try to get better and better," he said.
· The biggest caju tree in the world, a tourist attraction in Parnamirim, was on the relay route. The Terras Potiguares dance company gave a performance of coco samba in the Paz de Deus Square, which was also the setting for the Santa Teresa senior citizens’ group to dance carimbó and xote das meninas.
· Danilo Bezerra, 22, comes from a humble family background in Rio Grande do Norte. His parents cannot read and write, but they did encourage him to study and Danilo became a passionate reader. The first book that captivated him was "Isso ou Aquilo" (This or That), introducing him to the poetry of Cecília Meireles. He says that this book changed his life. In school, the teachers noticed how much Danilo enjoyed studying and gave him books as presents. Danilo soon found himself surrounded by works of literature, and decided that he could not keep it all to himself. "You cannot keep knowledge to yourself. It should be like the Olympic Flame, passed from one person to another," he said. Danilo turn his home and 3,000 books into a library.
· Severino Lima Júnior, 42, began sifting through the waste on Natal’s now defunct rubbish tip when he was 12. "That’s how I earned money to take home to my mother," he said. After three years in the army, Severino was unable to find work and returned to the rubbish tip. When the tip was closed down, he began to help his recycling friends to find a way of getting by. Now he has a recycling cooperative that serves the municipality, collecting and sorting materials. "I learned about the lives and hardships of other recyclers in Brazil, and that’s when I decided to set up the Movimento Nacional dos Catadores (National Recyclers’ Movement) with friends from other states. Today, I’m carrying the Olympic Torch and representing over 600,000 workers throughout Brazil and Latin America," he said.
· The Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay will end its 33rd day in Natal, the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte, paying tribute to Muhammad Ali, the boxing icon who died yesterday, 3 June. A minute’s silence will be held after the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron.
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