Fam-O-Lympics: The Biggest Family Event This Summer!

The temperature at the Metro was soaring but the stifling heat did not stop six families from vying for the most coveted Championship title of the Fam-O-Lympics held at the Manila Ocean Park and presented in collaboration with Crispy Fry Breading Mix.

Undaunted also by the summer heat, I joined the families who trooped to the Manila Ocean Park to witness the competition. At around 10am, I arrived at the Manila Ocean Park halfway through the opening ceremonies that welcomed guests to a day of family fun. The Ramon Magsaysay High School Band marched through the theme park to enliven all participants and guests. The main competition of the Fam-O-Lympics was slated in the afternoon but those who came early were entertained with games conducted by event sponsors and presentations by talented kids.

After lunch, the six teams each composed of four members of a family were geared up and got ready to face the series of outdoor challenges that would test their dexterity, wit, stamina, and teamwork.

I was able to witness the first two challenges that tested their speed and agility. The first challenge was to find the right key from among a dozen similar ones to unlock a chest. The second one was more fun since it involved dressing up like chicken drumsticks, being coated in breading (starch was used in lieu of Crispy Fry Breading Mix which is best reserved for the real thing), and jumping into a gigantic frying pan. The third challenge tested the teams’ dexterity as they played a wire loop game.

The stifling heat got the better of me though by this time so I opted to go back inside the Manila Ocean Park main area. My timing was perfect as they were already preparing for Crispy Fry’s 2 Minutes to Cash: Fried Chicken Eating Contest at the Concourse area.

There were three categories in this event: For Kids, For Teens, and For Families. The little kids gobbled their fried chicken with gusto while the teens were a bit more reserved in eating their chicken. In the family category, the winning family of four was able to devour all ten pieces of chicken drumsticks in two minutes! All winners received up to 5,000 pesos and gift packs from Crispy Fry.
While other activities were being held at the Concourse area, the competing teams in the Fam-O-Lympics continued to outdo each other in conquering the different challenges. In the end, Team 4 composed of the Ortega family reigned as the Champions of the Fam-O-Lympics. Remoly Ortega recounts what their winning strategy, “The ‘buddy system’ that we formed among ourselves became handy in selecting the person or pair to best represent the team in each challenge. They also made me their team leader and I could not ask for more because all of them put their hearts and minds in accomplishing each task. Last but not the least, we prayed for safety, guidance and to win the Fam-O-Lympics.”

The non-winning teams did not go home with sad hearts as all teams received cash (the grand prize amounting to PhP 15,000), tickets to Manila Ocean Park Attractions, overnight accommodations at Hotel H2o and other gifts from the sponsors.  As for me, I didn’t go home with a sad heart either.  I had a funfilled day and a gift bag filled with products from Crispy Fry Breading Mix!

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Aspiring to promote engaging sports and bonding activities to Filipino families, the Manila Ocean Park and Crispy Fry Breading Mix teamed up to present Fam-O-Lympics. Manila Ocean Park is the all-season holiday destination within the city and is home to 10,000 marine life species indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. On the other hand, Crispy Fry Breading Mix is a product of Ajinomoto that guarantees the crispiness and yumminess of fried chicken; it comes in three variants – original, garlic and spicy.