Virginie Faivre shares her passion for skiing with 300 local school children
Triple freestyle ski world champion, Olympian and President of the Lausanne 2020 Organising Committee Virginie Faivre was the most qualified person on the mountain on Wednesday to guide and introduce 300 school children from the Lausanne area to the sport of skiing.
Just a stone’s throw from Lausanne in the ski area of Les Paccots, Virginie and the Lausanne 2020 team joined forces with “Sports-passion”, a project spearheaded by the City of Lausanne to provide sports activities to all children in the area, for an afternoon of sports initiation.
She commented: “It is emotional to be here in Les Paccots with all these young athletes. I learnt to ski here like they are doing now, and perhaps one day they will also become world champions. I hope we can inspire them just a little through the Youth Olympic Games to get there.”
Virginie Faivre outlined how Lausanne 2020 is teaming up with many projects, such as “Sports-passion” throughout all the regions in which the Youth Olympic Games will be hosted to ensure that as many young people as possible are impacted by the values of sport and Olympism. “We are working in partnership with projects like this with the City of Lausanne where there is a natural fit to get together and meet with young kids in the area and region and share our passion for sport.”
It is important for them to know they can practise sport at the highest level, they can compete and have a bright future as young women. Virginie Faivre Olympian and President of the Lausanne 2020 Organising Committee - Virginie Faivre Olympian and President of the Lausanne 2020 Organising Committee
As the youngest female President of a Youth Olympic Games organising committee, Virginie Faivre commented on being a role model for young people: “It is a privilege and an honour to share my love of sport with young girls. It is important for them to know they can practise sport at the highest level, they can compete and have a bright future as young women.”
To all the athletes around the world training for the Lausanne 2020 she gave her own advice as an elite athlete: “Dream big and train with that in mind every day. Don’t lose sight of your objectives and goals because even when you have ‘lows’ there will always be ‘highs afterwards”.
The Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 will take place between 9 and 22 January 2020.