International Canoe Federation

All 29 ARMs were appointed by the International Federations which are taking part in the YOG and another 17 ARMs were appointed by the IOC Athletes’ Commission. These esteemed members of the international sporting community will be in Singapore to mentor the 3,600 young athletes who are expected to attend. Among other activities, the ARMs will spend time with the athletes and will participate in activities during the Culture and Education Programme, which will focus on five themes: Olympism and Olympic values, skill development, well-being and healthy lifestyles, social responsibility and expression through digital media.

Throughout, athletes will be encouraged to talk to the ARMs, who will attend the competitions, visit the Youth Olympic Village and feature in “Chat with Champions” forums designed to inspire and educate the participants with personal accounts of their own dreams and experiences, and the challenges they have overcome. This is exactly what Tony envisages during his visit to the Games; “My idea is really simple: I would like to meet the athletes, get acquainted, talk about their activity and their goals and answer any questions they can think of.” He sees the Games as a way, “to share our experience. Usually, we don't have the possibility to meet the new generation of champions because the schedules of competitions are really overbooked and incompatible... Associating different generations in the same event is a new idea and the best way to keep the values of the sport. I will try to deliver a message about my career experiences and also to motivate them to go forward, it's worth training a lot to live an Olympic experience.”

Tony is delighted to be going to the Games, which he sees as “an excellent project.” Recognising that this is the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, he went on; “I suppose it's not easy for the IOC to create a new kind of event but these Games are really ambitious and original and rise to a new challenge: to improve the proximity between young athletes and top athletes.” Focusing on the next generation of athletes is a key development for the Olympic movement; “Beyond promotions, success stories, the YOG is an opportunity to help young generations to learn from the mistakes of their “mentors” and follow some advice on managing their sporting career and their academic training.”

The Singapore Youth Olympic Games will be held from 14 to 26 August. Canoeing events will be held on the 21st-22nd and 24th-25th August. Stay tuned to hear more about the exciting new format which was designed especially for the Youth Olympic Games.

For more information on the Games visit the official website www.singapore2010.sg.