Danish National Olympic Session 2003

Bragt i det internationale IOAPA’s nyhedsbrev Arete nr. 2, 2004.

Once upon a time…. this is the beginning of every fairytale written by the Danish writer H.C. Andersen. However, in the tale that I am about to tell you “once upon a time” was actually in late November 2003.

One weekend in the end of November, the Danish NOA held its annual session. The international elements at this year’s session were professor Jim Parry from Leeds in England as well as a Swedish participant from the 2003 IOA youth session. The Danish participants were Olympic athletes (both from the Special Olympics, the Paralympics, the Olympic Games and the Youth Games 2003 in Paris), the Danish honorary member of the IOC Niels Holst-Sørensen, former participants at the previous IOA sessions (both youth, postgraduate and the IOAPA), teachers, students, academy-members and others interested in olympism.

The theme of this year was “The Olympic Diversity”. With this theme, we wanted to show many different approaches to the Olympic theme. Each sharing their own unique and beautiful stories, the many speakers gave an amazing contribution to the Olympic mosaic, which the session exposed in all its beauty. It was a very successful session that will be followed by sessions held at various sports schools in Denmark over the next four years.

Denmark will have her own branch of the IOAPA
Together with the Danish NOA session, a group of former Danish participants at the IOA got together. As a result of this meeting, it has been decided to create a Danish branch of the IOAPA.

Anyone who has ever met a Dane while visiting the facilities of IOA in Olympia, will probably agree that these are full of ideas, visions and goals – and since the activities of the Danish NOA consist merely of the holding of the annual session and of sending Danes to the IOA sessions, a Danish IOAPA offering many more projects and initiatives is being prepared. For the benefit of all, the former Danish IOA participants will now have their own forum where ideas involving the Olympic issues can be born, tested and spread.

And thus, this tale has had a very happy ending! A successful Danish session about the diversity of the Olympic movement – as well as a Danish branch of the IOAPA where many good ideas can be born and grow.

Translation: Line Roeber-Christiensen

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