IOC Young Leaders at Paris 2024: Inspiring change beyond the Games
Throughout the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Young Leaders (YL) have been actively promoting the Olympic values and showcasing the positive impact of sport in society to fans from around the world.
With up to 13,000 people attending the Champions Park each day to celebrate Olympic medallists, the IOC Young Leaders’ booth has become a prime spot for engaging the public. It offers a unique opportunity to educate visitors about the role of sport in sustainable development, not only during the Olympic Games, but 365 days a year.
At the booth, visitors can participate in a range of games and activities that demonstrate how sport can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in key areas such as equality, inclusion, health and well-being, sustainability and education.
Run in collaboration with Worldwide Olympic Partner Panasonic, and under the umbrella of the Olympism365 framework, the booth’s activities have included sustainable handcrafting workshops and interactive exercise demonstrations. These initiatives are delivered in collaboration with Paris 2024 as part of their vision to make sport accessible and beneficial for everyone.
The IOC Young Leaders have also hosted several Q&A sessions discussing the impact of sport on social and sustainable development. Notable guests included: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus; Olympians Emmeline Ndongue (FRA), basketball silver medallist at London 2012; and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA), Olympic champion in figure skating at Beijing 2022; as well as Paralympian Romain Riboud (FRA), silver medallist in Para Alpine skiing at Salt Lake City 2002.
“Sport is not just about the Olympic Games,” explained Grace Towobola, an IOC Young Leader from Nigeria who has been working at the booth during Paris 2024 with eight of her fellow IOC Young Leaders. “This is the message that we’re trying to pass to everyone here; we want people to know that sport can do so much good beyond the Games, and you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to use sport to foster positive change.”
IOC Young Leader Layana De Souza from Brazil added: “The Olympics brought us all to Paris, and it has been a magical moment to interact with people all over the world, especially my fellow IOC Young Leaders. We are building connections, friendships, sharing moments, cultivating memories that will last for life!”
The IOC YL programme and this mission particularly is a dream come true. It is gratifying to be part of something so special and be able to plant the seed so that many new dreams can be awakened. Because change through sport is possible.
IOC Young Leader Mayssa Bsaibes from Lebanon concluded: “Coming from a small country, attending my first Olympic Games was a truly wonderful experience. This incredible journey aimed to give us and the people engaging with us a wholesome experience. I absolutely loved engaging with people at the Champions Park promoting Olympism365, our programme and the Olympic values. The connections I made and the inspiration I felt will stay with me forever."
As part of the four-year programme, IOC Young Leaders develop social projects that harness the power of sport to create positive change. By sharing their stories with the public at the Champions Park, the IOC Young Leaders aim to inspire Olympic fans to use sport as a tool for making a difference in their own communities.
The application process for the next group of IOC Young Leaders opens in September 2024. Follow the IOC Young Leaders’ social media channels to stay updated on the process.
IOC Young Leaders Programme contributing to Olympism 365 days a year
Launched in 2016, the IOC Young Leaders Programme empowers young people to leverage the power of sport to make a positive difference in their communities. The Programme contributes to Olympism365, the IOC’s approach to using sport as an important enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and specifically to Olympism365’s innovation portfolio that aims to identify, sustain and scale innovative sports-based approaches that deliver concrete impact in targeted communities.
So far, with the support of the IOC, these inspiring young people have delivered over 160 sport-led projects in communities across the globe, promoting education and livelihoods, equality and inclusion, health, peace building and sustainability, directly benefitting more than 37,000 people.
Learn more about the IOC Young Leaders Programme and the Olympism365 strategy.
Worldwide Olympic Partner Panasonic’s continued support
The IOC Young Leaders Programme has been supported by Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Panasonic since 2017, and this will continue through to 2024.
Panasonic, as the programme’s founding partner, is committed to supporting the IOC Young Leaders through various initiatives, for example providing its creative and technological expertise, along with its network of influencers and ambassadors, to inspire the Young Leaders and equip them with the skills and tools they need to enhance their projects.
Find out more about Panasonic’s support for the programme and sign up for the “IOC Young Leaders in Action” newsletter to get the latest updates.
IOC Young Leaders Programme
The IOC Young Leaders programme, launched in 2016, empowers talents to leverage the power of sport to make a positive difference in their communities.