2025 – Meet your speakers
Online Session: 10 - 13 April 2025
Christian Kern (BRA)
Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, with a specialization in Psychomotricity. Young researcher at the Olympic Studies Research Group of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, with projects in the fields of Olympic Education and Olympism. Director of Communications and Member of the Brazilian Pierre de Coubertin Committee and the Latin American Center for Coubertinian Studies. He is also part of the communications team of the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee. He participated for the first time in the International Session for Young Olympic Ambassadors in 2023 and returned in 2024 as a group coordinator. Most recently, he took part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as an assistant to the athletes of Team Brazil.
Samantha Matavata (ZIM)
She has been the Head of Country Coordinators on the IOAPA Executive Committee since 2023. Previously, she coordinated the Young Ambassadors' Session at the International Olympic Academy (2020–2024) and remains involved with the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee and national sports federations. Passionate about Olympism, she has contributed to the Olympic Games from Lausanne 2020 to Paris 2024. A WSLA and IOA alumna, she holds diplomas in Sports Administration and Management and is currently studying Sports and Clinical Psychology. Through her leadership, she continues to advocate for women's grassroots sports and nurture Olympism worldwide.
Marie Lou Noirot (FRA)
She is a young leader in the Olympic Movement with a deep passion for sports, cultural exchange, and inclusion. As the Volunteer Manager for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, she contributed to a groundbreaking project on accessibility and inclusion, empowering people with disabilities to participate as volunteers in this historic event.
She combines her leadership journey with a love for travel and creative expression, deepening her commitment to fostering teamwork, resilience, and meaningful connections across communities. Her mission is to inspire others to dream big, embrace diversity, and create lasting impact both on and off the field.
Hsin-Wei Chen (TPE)
Hsin-Wei Chen is an interdisciplinary scholar specializing in sports, tourism, and event management. Baseball is her biggest passion. Her passion for sports events and the Olympic Games inspired her transition from working in the travel industry to pursuing sport-related research. She is currently pursuing a dual PhD program between National Taiwan Normal University and the University of South Carolina, focusing on the role of events, particularly sports events, as mediators for community development.
Hsin-Wei attended the 2022 IOA Postgraduate Session and has contributed to spreading Olympic values as a youth counselor for two sessions of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Academy.
Jacqueline Simoneau OLY (CAN)
She is a three-time Olympian and World Champion in artistic swimming, currently completing her doctorate in podiatric medicine (DPM). As an IOC Young Leader, she leads Aqua Unity, a global initiative promoting adaptive artistic swimming for youth of all abilities while advancing United Nations SDGs. She is also an IOC Believe in Sport Ambassador, advocating against match manipulation and unethical sports betting. A member of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission, Jacqueline is a strong voice for athlete representation, inclusion, and integrity in sport.