Innsbruck calling

Hey folks,

First and foremost, sorry for neglecting this blog for so long (People that have followed it since Singapore will know that this introduction will become quite frequent with me ;)). Last week(s) have been quite busy, so I was forced to step down from the blog writing a bit. I hope I can update it more frequently in the upcoming weeks.
Speaking of which: We are in the double-digit zone!! Only 98 more days to go until the first Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games (try saying that 3 times fast) will be opened.
Anni from IYOGOC has asked me to write a report on the Young Ambassador seminar taking place in Innsbruck in early September. I was of course more than happy to comply. However, after writing the text, I felt that it much rather belongs on this personal blog than the official games website. So I wrote another one much more suited to be published on the Innsbruck 2012 site. Since I did not want to have written the other article in vain, I just put it online here for yours to enjoy :)

Innsbruck calling

„Anyone who goes travelling has stories to tell “ If those travels lead said anyone to the Olympic city of Innsbruck to attend a Young Ambassador program, it will be hard to tell all the stories needing to be told. Let's try it anyway.

For me, going to Innsbruck was linked to a problem everyone would love to have. After having been honored with representing Austria at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, I honestly did not know what to expect from the anew Young Ambassador seminar. Singapore has hands down been one of the best times in my life. What, if the games in Innsbruck could not live up to the ones in Singapore? What, if the new ambassadors won't be as much inspiration and fun as the "old" ones? I have to admit: I have been way too wrong. That's quite a nuisance, being given the fact that I should know by now that spending time with the Young Ambassador always is a tremendous experience.

So what is this Young Ambassador seminar all about? Basically, it is about two aspects. First, to introduce the 33 Young Ambassadors from all over the world - from Australia to Chile, from Canada to Japan and everywhere in between - to the Culture and Education program (CEP). Because one of the YA's main tasks is going to be promoting the CEP to their qualified athletes.

The other aspect might sound funny, however, it's a quite important one as well. To do their "job" as good as they can, the YAs need the right environment. So the seminar in Innsbruck provided an excellent opportunity to get to know each other and form a great team for the upcoming games. The team building process was significantly aided by the various CEP workshops and seminar, but also some extensive venue tours to Innsbruck's bars and clubs...let's but a mask of silence on those ;).

Back to the workshops and seminars: Those are a part of the CEP and were put through their paces by the Young Ambassadors. The feedback on all activities was very positive - all of them were planned and executed with a whole lot of dedication and motivation. At this point, I should definitely give a shout-out to Verena and Anni, not only for putting the CEP together, but also for taking splendid care of us during our time in Innsbruck.

One of the questions people asked me the most in Innsbruck was to what extent the Young Ambassadors of the Innsbruck Games compare to those of the Singapore Games. Unfortunately, this is a question I can not answer, since it is impossible for me to compare all the great people I met in both Innsbruck and Singapore. The question I could easily have answered, would go something like this: Do the Innsbruck Young Ambassadors have the same staggering energy? Oh yeah! And the travel continues...