Mogul skier Ramone Cooper is about to compete at his first Olympic Games but he’s not forgotten his old school ….Cooma North Primary.

Cooper is taking time out during his Olympic campaign in Vancouver to “visit” the pupils at Cooma North live online as part of the Boxing Kangaroo Chat to a Champ Olympic education program.

He will share his experiences with the kids in a half hour internet chat on the AOC website. He will also spend half an hour online with children at Aspendale Gardens Primary School in Victoria and Pacific Paradise State School in Queensland.

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to chat to kids at my old school,” Cooper said. “I’m looking forward to talking to them about being at the Olympics and hopefully I can inspire them.”

Other members of the Australian Olympic Winter Team have also volunteered to take part in the Chat to a Champ program during their time in Vancouver. Ten athletes will conduct thirty sessions designed to teach young children about fair play, honesty and striving to do your best. They include Torah Bright, Jenny Owens, Emma Lincoln-Smith, Sophie Muir, Alex Pullin and Damon Hayler.

Chat to a Champ is part of the AOC’s Education Program which was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the Manorvale Primary School in Melbourne in 2008.

Since then the program has reached thousands of children in city and country schools throughout Australia via the AOC website www.olympics.com.au

One of the Vancouver sessions will reach students at the Norfolk Island Central School.

“We are extremely proud of the results achieved from the Chat to a Champ program,” said AOC President John Coates. “The IOC has urged all National Olympic Committees to engage with the youth of the world and we have certainly embraced the concept through our Boxing Kangaroo Education Program,” Coates said.

‘Via the internet we are able to share the Olympic ideals with young Australians anywhere in the country, it doesn’t matter how remote the location might be.”

“The Boxing Kangaroo is the flagship of the program which also provides teachers with lessons they can download free of charge.”

Chat to a Champ is proudly presented by Telstra who provide the technology to connect Olympians with kids all over Australia. The program is proudly supported by Acer who have provided state of the art notebook computers.

The AOC Education Program can be found here>>>

Following is a full list of the schools taking part in the Chat to a Champ sessions from Vancouver:   

Tuesday 9 February - Jeremy Rolleston
Meadow Flat Public School (NSW)
Holy Spirit School Cranbrook (QLD)
Samsom Primary School (WA)

Wednesday 10 February – Katya Crema
St Thomas More Primary (VIC)
Dandenong Primary School (VIC)
Ambrose State School (QLD)  

Tuesday 16 February – Ramone Cooper
Aspendale Gardens Primary School (VIC)
Cooma North Primary School (NSW)
Pacific Paradise State School (QLD)  

Wednesday 17 February – Alex Pullin
Merrijig Primary School (VIC)
Jerangle Public School (NSW)
Holy Spirit North Ryde (NSW)

Thursday 18 February – Damon Hayler
Delacombe Primary School (VIC)
Norfolk Island Central School (NF Island)
Williamstown Primary School (VIC)

Sunday 21 February – Torah Bright
Boronia Park Public School (NSW)
Hunter Valley Grammar School (NSW)
St Francis Xavier Regional Catholic School (SA)

Monday 22 February – Emma Lincoln-Smith
Dalgety Primary School (NSW)
Ipswich Central State School (QLD)
Our Lady of the Way School (QLD)

Tuesday 23 February – Hannah Campbell-Pegg
Ngunnawal Primary School (ACT)
All Saints School (NSW)
Woodhill State School (QLD)

Wednesday 24 February – Sophie Muir
Christ Church Grammar (VIC)
Barnier Public School (NSW)
Atherton Primary (QLD)