The 2022 JMCOlympics – We Dodged a Bullet for Dodgeball!
The gods thought it would be funny to throw a tropical system our way right before the 2022 JMCOlympics. Thankfully, Hurricane Nicole passed with plenty of time to spare, giving us a glorious November afternoon for the big day (and a renewed commitment to having a Plan B in case of bad weather).
The JMCOlympics is an annual field day-style competition for our Gainesville and Ocala offices. This year’s games included playground favorites like Izzy Dizzy and Dodgeball. We also had more contemplative, teamwork-centric events like Blind Snakes and Puzzle Pass. Others were just plain weird — for example, Chicken Sheet. Let’s just say it involves a rubber chicken, a large bedsheet and lots of flinging. And of course we had our perennial favorites, the Obstacle Relay Race and the Tug of War.
We also included a couple of plot twists to keep our competitors on their toes. It was the first appearance of our “Sheriff of Smack Talk” (aka firm tax partner Stacy Joyner) to encourage a little bulletin board material. A past winner of our annual Biggest Trash Talker award, Stacy handed out citations for violations like “being too nice,” “lame trash talking” and “going too far (even for her).” The teams were also surprised with a bonus event, the Idol Hunt. Inspired by Survivor, it was a chance for teams to earn extra points and tip the scales in their favor.
In the end, the Orange Team claimed victory and the coveted gold medals! The Red Team came in a very close second to claim silver. (How close, you ask? A tiebreaker was necessary.) The Yellow Team was rewarded for its third-place finish with bronze. Awards were also given for Best Team Spirit, Most Intense Team, Most Athletic Competitor, Mr./Ms. Congeniality, Best Dancer, Best Individual Uniform and — of course — Biggest Trash Talker.
Click here to watch this year’s video and click on the photos below to see just how much fun we had! (And many thanks to Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville for graciously allowing us to use their fields!)
