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Inspirational Olympian-led initiatives rewarded for their services to society and to fellow Olympians

The World Olympians Association (WOA), the IOC-recognised organisation supporting 100,000 Olympians worldwide, has announced the awardees of its WOA 2021 Service to Society and Service to Olympians Grants Programme. Ten inspiring Olympian-led initiatives will receive USD 5,000 each to spread the Olympic values through projects that create new opportunities in local communities or offer support to Olympians at every stage of their careers.

 

Spread across five continents, WOA’s grants will support National Olympians Associations (NOAs) and Olympians in projects such as using sport to integrate refugee children in Mali, upskilling Olympians with modern agriculture practices in Sri Lanka, preventing obesity by encouraging healthy lifestyles in Papua New Guinea, and promoting sport as a tool of social cohesion in France.“Each year, we see first-hand the direct, positive impact Olympians are able to make in their communities and for their fellow Olympians with this funding. We are very pleased to be able to help Olympians and NOAs across the world bring these inspirational projects to life,” said WOA President Joël Bouzou OLY. “As the world continues to endure the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, these initiatives are even more significant.”

The 2021 Service to Society Grant awardees:

• Mali’s Support for refugee children through sport will use sport to facilitate the integration of child refugees into society in the refugee camps of Niamana and Faladjie in Bamako, with the creation of sports activity centres.
• Panama’s Sport as a tool for social change will use face-to-face classes with Olympians and elite athletes to inspire physical activity, promote sustainability and teach new skills to vulnerable children in Panama’s SOS Children’s Villages.
• Hong Kong’s Series of short Olympism Education Videos will inspire school children and bring the values of the Olympic Movement to life with a series of engaging videos designed to be adopted as part of the school curriculum.
• France’s For sport without violence project will promote the fight against violence in sport in all forms and use the Olympic values to demonstrate how sport can be an indisputable factor of social cohesion.
• Papua New Guinea’s Obesity Prevention initiative is aimed at leading a society shift towards healthy eating, active lifestyles, good nutrition and regular physical activity to prevent obesity.

The 2021 Service to Olympians Grant awardees:

• Uganda’s Against All Odds: Uganda’s Olympic Legends will raise awareness of Olympians’ achievements with a documentary, a TV miniseries and a book on Uganda’s Olympians and the struggles they endured to train, participate and, for some, win medals at the Olympic Games.
• Colombia’s Olympic Warriors will organise an event incorporating sports, academic and cultural activities led by Colombian Olympians, who will share their skills and knowledge with children, young people and adults.
• Sri Lanka’s Livelihood enhancement of yesteryear needy Olympians will enhance the livelihood of Olympians and offer educational opportunities in modern agricultural methods, resulting in sustainable incomes and increased capabilities.
• Portugal’s Unleash the Olympic Potential GALA will increase the organisational structure of the Portuguese NOA, creating a detailed database of Olympians and supporting greater cohesion to deliver its social purpose of helping those in need.
• Italy’s Passion and Victory will provide educational support and services to Olympians towards the end of their career, to support them as they enter their new life and look to develop professionally.

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The IOC’s support to athletes and Olympians

The WOA is financially supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was established in 1995 by former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. The collaboration between the two entities ensures that Olympians everywhere receive continuous support through the alignment of the IOC’s strategic roadmap, Olympic Agenda 2020+5, putting athletes and Olympians at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

The IOC distributes 90 per cent of all its revenues for the benefit of the athletes and the development of sport and Paralympic sport around the globe. With this solidarity funding model, the equivalent of USD 5 billion was distributed during the past Olympiad, or USD 3.4 million per day. This financial support benefits not just a few countries or a few sports. It benefits all the athletes from all 206 NOCs, from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and from all Olympic sports, whether popular or less popular, thereby ensuring the true universality and diversity of the Olympic Games and within the Olympic community.

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