Young Olympic Ambassadors aim to promote Olympic values via education

Young Olympic Ambassadors from around the world came together with the goal to make a better world through physical education and the sharing of Olympic values.
Young athletes and sport leaders are creating positive change through sport in their communities and beyond.

On 12 August, Olympics.com joined the global community in celebrating International Youth Day by shining the spotlight on several Young Olympic Ambassadors who are trying to make the world a better place with the help of the International Olympic Academy (IOA).

Almost 150 young leaders from National Olympic Academies and Committees around the world gathered at the site of the ancient Olympic Games from 11-22 June for the 63rd International Session of the International Olympic Academy for Young Olympic Ambassadors.

Participants took part in workshops and discussions to learn about Olympic values and how to help spread them when they returned to their respective countries.

“The International Olympic Academy is really diverse. It has brought together people from all across the world and we are learning about the Olympic Movement, and what it takes to live the Olympic values in our everyday lives,” Marielle Thompson, Olympic ski cross champion from Canada, told Olympics.com.

“It’s been really special interacting with so many people from around the world and learning about all their different experiences, in sport as well as their cultures,” she added. “As an Olympian, I didn’t really know a lot of these things we’ve learned here so I think I’m living it with a much more broad knowledge of the Olympics and of the Olympic movement.”

Serious lectures are not the only things on the agenda when so much youth energy comes together in a single location.

Ancient Olympia came to life over the 10-day event as the young leaders danced, wrote fiction stories and poetry, and even competed in sports against Olympians.

Energised by the wide variety of workshops and activities at the session, the Youth Olympic Ambassadors returned home with the objective to share the Olympic spirit and values with their communities and national sports associations.

“As a Young Olympic Ambassador, I got a responsibility to promote Olympism through all means possible to people of all ages from different continents, to anyone who’s willing to listen, to all humanity,” Eugenia Mandeya of the Zimbabwe Volleyball Association told Olympics.com.

“I’ve got a responsibility to reach out to them with the Olympic values.”

Source & main image: Olympics.com