In preparation for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2010, Singapore will this week host a Friendship Camp for young students with three-time Olympian Michael Klim set to take part.

The camp, which will integrate sport, culture and education, has the goal of promoting the Olympic Values among participants and providing them with a unique experience and the opportunity to form life-long friendships.

Over 400 youth athletes from around the world including 275 student athletes from 132 National Olympic Committees, together with student athletes from Singapore will experience an exciting range of activities and learn about the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.

Participants will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with well-known athletes like Klim, Asafa Powell, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Dexter Lee during the Culture and Education Programme, which will provide a sneak preview of what athletes can expect at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games in August 2010, among other exciting camp activities.

Klim will play a key leadership role and take part in ‘Chat with Champions’.

“It’s great to be involved with an event which helps young people from across the world learn about the Olympics and the values of excellence, friendship and respect,” said Klim who won five Olympic medals including two relay gold at Sydney 2000.

“From my experience, you can learn a lot from listening to people who have competed at an elite level of sport and have been there before you. I hope the kids in Singapore will take much away from the camp and my visit.”

Two young athletes were selected to represent Australia because of their dedication to sport and the Olympic movement.

“Sport is my life,” 17-year-old Jessica Errington said. “I love swimming and the friendship bonds that you can build through sport.”

“I can’t wait to meet the Olympians and ask them how they do it – how they juggle the pressure and just go out for what they want and get it.”

Errington, of Kingsgrove, New South Wales, will be joined at the camp by Townsville local Matthew Harrison.

Both students were winners of the 2009 Pierre de Coubertin award, an initiative of the Australian Olympic Committee whereby secondary students who demonstrate Olympic values through participation in sporting activities are rewarded.

“I’m keen to try some of the local sports there,” Harrison said, “but what I am looking forward to the most is meeting people from other cultures. That’s what I love about the Olympics so much.”

The Camp will run from 8 to 12 December with the YOG being held from 14 – 26 August 2010. Australia hopes to send the maximum team of 100 of Australia’s best young athletes from a range of sports – comprised of 70 individual athletes and approximately 30 athletes in two team sports – to the YOG with Olympic rowing medallist Nick Green the team Chef de Mission.

AOC