The World Olympians Association (WOA) elected Pernilla Wiberg at its head in January. The Swedish skier, a two-time Olympic champion in alpine skiing, spoke at length on the website of Peace & SportIn it, she details her vision and ambitions to provide even more support to athletes.
« We count approximately 100,000 active Olympic athletes worldwide, but we don't yet have an Olympic athletes' association in every country. That's something we're working on: expand our member baseCurrently, we have approximately 111 national Olympians' associations, while the IOC recognizes 206 national Olympic committeesThere is therefore a clear gap, and our goal is of course to eventually reach 206 ", she says.
Money remains the lifeblood of any organization, and the president of the WOA is well aware of this. Each year we receive more than a hundred applications, but we can only award twenty grants. To obtain more funding and increase our budget is therefore a priority, she says. Ultimately, it's about empowering Olympic athletes and Olympic associations by helping them to to feel valued and recognized within their own communities. Because when we give them the means to carry out projects in their societies, they gain visibility, they have an impact. »
