Yuna Kim, Olympic Champion and Youth Olympic Games ambassador, opened the celebrations with a welcome address to the young students:
“I am so pleased to be part of this Korean Olympic Moves under the theme of ‘Everyone’s Olympics’…I hope every participant here enjoys the festival and Olympic experiences today with their friends free from any kind of stress! I also believe that this ‘Olympic Moves’ will be a great starting point to promote the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games among Korean teenagers in the journey towards their success.”
Yuna Kim was joined by a host of Olympic champions, including weightlifter Miran Jang (gold medallist, Olympic Games Beijing 2008), Jongoh Jin (gold medallist, shooting, Olympic Games Beijing 2008 and London 2012, Kyung Mo Park (gold medallist, archery, Olympic Games Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008) and Sung-Hyun Park (gold medallist, archery, Olympic Games Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008).
“Olympic Moves” celebrates the value of sports participation and active, healthy lifestyles. In the lead-up to the Final Festival, students practised basketball and handball on a weekly basis in school. In the final, students were able to choose from a variety of different sports, including basketball and handball, and there were also fun interactive events available, including activities organised by the team behind the next Olympic Winter Games, which will be held in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, in 2018.
Olympic Moves was inspired by the programme created by the Dutch Olympic Committee and Coca-Cola Netherlands in 2003 with the mission to stop the decline in sports participation and get students moving as part of Coca-Cola’s commitment to fostering healthier, happier and more active communities. Since 2003, the programme has grown in the Netherlands and has now expanded internationally with the support of the IOC working in cooperation with Coca-Cola and the respective local National Olympic Committees. An ongoing social media campaign is also spreading the word about Olympic Moves, with the goal to increase participation internationally by 2020.
To see further examples of how Olympic Moves has been used as a powerful tool to engage young people, see: http://www.olympic.org/news/teens-get-active-with-olympic-moves/246334.