The Olympic Dreams project presents the results of its 2.5 years of activity at the Olympic Games in Paris
2024-08-02 17:33
As part of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the NOC of Ukraine, the Olympic Dreams project presented the results of its 2.5 years of work and screened the documentary film Espoirs about Ukrainian athlete Anastasiia Chyzhevska. The event was held at the Ukrainian Olympic House VOLIA SPACE.
Photo: Roman Gorbun
"Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Olympic Dreams project has been doing everything possible and impossible to ensure that our athletes win more licences at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles. While our defenders are holding the frontline, our future – our children – are under the care of the project. Our task is to continue this work, expand the geography and increase the number of project participants," said Olena Pavlova, Olympic Dreams military ambassador, Irpin City Council member, and Major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Olena Pavlova. Photo: Roman Gorbun
During the presentation, a video about Olympic Dreams was shown, and the results of the project were presented by the team members – project CEO Oleksandra Novikova; Olympic Dreams Secretary General and Deputy Mayor of Bucha for Humanitarian Affairs Oleksandra Starkova; Karen Balaian, Project Development Director, Honoured Coach of Ukraine, participant of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in judo, Honoured Worker of Physical Culture and Sports of Ukraine; and Anatoliy Boyko, entrepreneur, philanthropist and source of ideological inspiration behind the project.
"Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, helping our fellow citizens affected by the war has been a priority for us. And we have paid special attention to rescuing the new generation of our youth — Ukrainian athletes who must defend our sports future in international arenas," said Anatoliy Boyko.
Anatoliy Boyko. Photo: Roman Gorbun
"Recently, our young athletes returned from the Olympic Dreams camp in Austria, where they had the proper infrastructure to prepare for the competitions, comfortable accommodation, delicious food and good sleep, and most importantly, a sense of safety. Most of these children are from the town of Bucha. I saw their faces during the ceremony of raising the national flag and the flag of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine on the opening day of the Olympic Games in Bucha. I would like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to support our project for the sake of the future of our country – our children," added Oleksandra Starkova.
Oleksandra Starkova. Photo: Roman Gorbun
During the event, the guests were shown a film made by L’Équipe Explore and Mañana Production about a young Ukrainian athlete, a participant in the Olympic Dreams project since March 2022, the European Judo Cup champion and International Master of Sports of Ukraine Anastasiia Chyzhevska.
Anastasiia Chyzhevska and Valeriia Kravchuk. Photo: Roman Gorbun
"I feel the support from the Olympic Dreams project every day! Thanks to these camps, I fulfilled the standard of an International Master of Sports in judo, won bronze at the European Championships, won gold at the European Women's Cup and participated in the European Games. For me, the Olympic Dreams project is my support, my footing, and without it, I would not have been able to bear the loss of my father, I would not have found the strength to move forward," said Chyzhevska.