Ioc, Ipc, And Airbnb Launch Online Athlete Experience Festival
The IOC, IPC and Olympic Games partner Airbnb have launched a ‘Summer Festival of Athlete Experiences’ to bring the ‘spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics’.
The organisations will present a programme of activities hosted by athletes, which will allow fans to support athletes ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – which will now take place in the summer of 2021.
The five-day event will open on 22 July, with more than 100 online experiences offered by Olympians and Paralympians such as Naomi Osaka, Allyson Felix and Jonny Brownlee and others.
The events will include themes such as building resilience to overcome obstacles with Yusra Mardini – a swimmer who competed for the IOC Refugee Team at Rio 2016 – and returning to sport after motherhood with Allyson Felix. Fans will also have the opportunity to cook with former Team GB hurdler and BBC pundit Colin Jackson, take in a scenic bike ride with Jonny Brownlee, or learn super-strength tips and tricks with gold medal-winning couple Helen and Kate Richardson-Walsh.
The IOC says the festival will not just provide direct earning opportunities for athletes, but will also include local Airbnb hosts in Japan.
Promising guests the opportunity to explore the cultures and traditions of Japan from their living rooms, the festival will include online activities such as ‘Become a Ramen Expert’, ‘Sake Secrets from Japan’s Oldest Brewery’, and ‘Explore Kyoto Where Unique Old Gods Live’.
“The Olympic Games bring the whole world together and, whilst we will all have to wait one more year to celebrate in Tokyo, the Olympic flame continues to be the light at the end of the dark tunnel humankind is currently going through,” said Thomas Bach, President, IOC.
“It demonstrates that we are stronger together. This festival is a great platform to unite and inspire the world in the spirit of friendship and solidarity this summer. The IOC puts the athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement and supports them at every stage of their journey. We are delighted to collaborate with Airbnb to provide innovative economic empowerment opportunities for Olympic and Paralympic athletes around the world.”
Joe Gebbia, Co-Founder, Airbnb, said: “At a time when it is difficult for people to gather and celebrate the exceptional performance of athletes, Airbnb is proud to host the summer festival, which is a new way to experience the Olympic and Paralympic spirit online.
“Guests will be able to connect and interact with some of the most elite competitors within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, giving them even more reasons to cheer them on next year.”
The IOC says that many of the athletes and Japanese hosts will continue to offer their Experiences long after the five-day event ends, with both online and in-person events taking place when it’s safe and permissible to do so.
