Sunday, September 20
Back to the Olympic Rootes! Youth Forum Has Already Started
The 7th International Pierre de Coubertin Youth Forum has started on September 19th in Ancient Olympia. 137 participants from 19 delegations arrived with their teachers at the Olympic Academy. Some of the students travelled quite a long distance. The delegates from Australia needed more than 30 hours for their journey and the trip of the teams coming from China and Japan covered a distance of more than 10.000 kilometers. Within the next six days the students will have the chance to make new friends and to compete each other in different disciplines.
Olympic Academy Welcomes 19 Participating Groups
Cheese! 137 students and their teachers are presenting their best
smile for the official picture of the Youth Forum 2009.
Travel=Adventure?!
Some of the participants of the Youth Forum had quite adventurous trips to Olympia. Three examples:
1) The Chinese delegation arrived one day before their teachers who had some visa problems.
2) Franziska, a German Volunteer, arrived one day before her luggage.
3) Fabian, another Volunteer, had to share his bed on the ferry with a naked and very fat truck driver.
High Jump: A Greek Evening on the Streets
The mayor of Olympia invited all the participants of the Youth Forum for dinner and Greek dances. The students enjoyed the Greek hospitality and turned the street into a dance floor.
Even Bad Weather Cannot Stop the Youth of the Olympic Movement!
“…It is your turn to bring the ideas of Pierre de Coubertin in every corner of the world…” This statement, given by the President of the Olympic Academy, was only one of many important thoughts having been transported during the introductory speeches of the opening ceremony. After heavy rain had forced us to move the place of the procedure from the Coubertin Monument to the lecture hall, all participants and guests had the chance to attend a nice program organized by the students of the school of Pyrgos, next to impressing speeches and the introduction of the delegations.
First Experience: History Goes Practical!
After Dr. Christian Wacker, an archaeologist and expert of the Ancient Olympic Games, had given a lecture on the Ancient Sites, he himself, his wife, Prof. Müller and Robert Marxen lead the groups to the Ancient Olympic sites and informed them about the different excavations. The students and teachers practiced running in ancient Greek style at the stadium. “I was fascinated by the temple of Zeus”, said Yuko from Japan. Her compatriot Yoshina was also impressed, but added: “I didn´t like, that women couldn´t take part in the Ancient Games. That was not fair!”