Focus on education makes Winter YOG a unique experience
The Athlete Education Programme provides new essential skills and knowledge, useful both on and off the field of play, to the 1,802 athletes competing at the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024, who have been engaging in a series of fun and interactive learning initiatives.
The educational activities at Gangwon 2024 take place at Athlete365 House, which is the beating heart of both Youth Olympic Villages in Gangneung and Jeongseon, with cultural Korean performances taking place each night alongside the various educational booths.
A central part of the YOG experience
Many of the learning experiences are gamified to maximise participation and incentivised through an interactive game called Pinquest where users can customise their own avatar, roam a virtual Gangwon-themed world, and earn points by correctly answering questions around key topics.
Among the educational booths in Athlete365 House are:
- The “Be True Be You” area, where athletes can take an interactive quiz on how to recognise and report instances of competition manipulation;
- The “Keeping Sport Real – Play True” booth, co-led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and International Testing Agency (ITA), where athletes can learn about the doping control process and prohibited substances list;
- The Athlete365 Career+ booth, a collaborative escape room experience supported by Worldwide Olympic Partner Allianz, where participants can put their communication and teamwork skills to the test and try to top the leaderboard;
- The Olympic Solidarity stand, where athletes can play “football pool” while learning about the potential support available to them through the IOC;
- The “Mind, Body and Me” area, where athletes can practise meditation with a VR experience, try out injury prevention techniques, and learn about safe sport in an interactive way; and
- The “Athlete Point of View” area, run by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), where athletes can learn how to capture and edit compelling footage, and create their own video.
Supporting IOC staff and volunteers in delivering the educational activities at both Youth Olympic Villages are the Athlete Role Models (ARMs). Twenty-eight Olympic champions, Olympic medallists and Olympians, all former or current world-class athletes, have been selected to support, advise and inspire the young athletes competing in Gangwon 2024.
Acting as mentors, they are also responsible for delivering “Inside Sport” sessions run by the International Federations, which are further educational sessions for the young athletes specific to their sport.
Athletes fully engaged in learning activities
All these opportunities amount to a holistic learning experience where athletes can meet other athletes, collaborate and compete against each other in a relaxed environment, with the learning experiences proving hugely popular.
“I like how [the Athlete Education Programme] includes some elements of fun as well as the learning,” said Australian biathlete Matthew Wilby. “It helps it stick more in my mind.”
I learned about the doping control process – what to do, and how it works – and that you need a balance between training, competing and having fun.
Austrian luger Viktoria Gasser has also been taking full advantage of the activities on offer.
“It’s absolutely amazing here,” she said. “There are great things to do besides the sports, and you can have fun while learning about things like anti-doping.”
With the app you also learn about many topics, and I think it’s a great way for athletes to meet each other and talk to each other.
Athlete entourages also involved
The educational activities are not just aimed at the athletes. All of the young athletes’ entourage members – including coaches, Chefs de Mission, medical personnel and NOC representatives – are eligible, and actively encouraged, to participate in the Athlete Education Programme.
Canadian short-track speed skating coach Elizabeth Migneron was pleasantly surprised by how much she discovered.
“I personally learned a lot, because you know of these programmes, but it’s not the same as when you’re actually here and the people responsible for them are explaining them to you,” she said. “You see the passion too, and the heart that’s been put into these initiatives. Just today I have a new app on my phone for injury prevention, and even a little game just makes you think a bit more about everything that goes into the sport in general. Awareness is building and I think that’s really great.”
The main thing in sport is to be healthy and be happy. Of course, we’re here to compete, but we also want to learn.
Setting young athletes up for the future
In advance of the YOG, athletes and entourage members were already encouraged to participate in the Gangwon 2024 readiness programme, which consisted of an interactive e-learning course on the Athlete365 platform, available in 10 languages and covering themes such as safeguarding, prevention of competition manipulation, staying mentally fit, and anti-doping.
Having turned up prepared, athletes will soon be leaving Gangwon with lots of useful information designed to help them make the step-up to being a senior elite athlete should they decide to do so.
Free online courses covering a range of important topics are available for athletes and entourage members at all stages of their career on Athlete365.