You have been selected to participate in the next IOA Session for Young Participants and we want to congratulate you!

You now have the distinct privilege and honour to participate in this year's session. We are certain that you are excited about the special experience upon which you are about to embark. As a student of the Olympic Movement, you will find that the lOA is all that you might have expected, and more: an international academic centre dedicated to the study of Olympism located on a picturesque campus surrounded by rolling hills and set in the quaint village of Ancient Olympia!

You will visit the ruins of the Games of Antiquity, where this great tradition began in 776 B.C. And you will be able to stand at the starting line where the ancients took their place in the original Olympic Stadium, which came alive again when the shot-put event of the 2004 Olympic Games was held there.

But perhaps most important is the opportunity that you will have to be a goodwill ambassador for your country. The lOA is truly a forum for international exchange of views, information and cultural practices, and you will have an experience of a lifetime meeting and befriending people from all over the world.

Upon your return, we would be very interested in hearing about experience in the form of a brief submission (no more than five pages) to include (1) a summary of your experience, (2) recommendations for future participants, (3) a proposal for a practical project that will integrate Olympism into your future endeavours and (4) a sampling of your favourite photos. Your submission will be compiled as a permanent record of participants' reports that will be available to benefit future generations of lOA participants.

We are also happy to provide this IOA Orientation Manual in the hopes that the information will be helpful in your preparation for the lOA Session.

Best wishes for a safe journey, and a successful and memorable experience in Greece!

Sincerely,
IOAPA Executive Committee
info@ioapa.org