• More than 300 parents and students will participate in six workshops in a brand new community-driven series organised by volunteers and supported by the Singapore National Olympic Council and Olympians Singapore
• Double Gold Olympic Medallist Brice Guyart leads workshops to share fencing tips and journey to becoming a Olympian
• Parents, teachers and coaches learn more about sports psychology, injuries and prevention from sports science and medicine experts from Changi Sports Medicine Centre and Mental Notes Consulting

Singapore, 28 February 2014 – The inaugural two-day My Olympic Journey workshop series was launched at the Singapore Sports School (SSP) and St. Joseph’s Institution Junior (SJI Junior) today. Organised by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Olympians Singapore (OS), volunteers from the fencing community have come together to organise six workshops featuring double Olympic gold medallist Brice Guyart, national fencers and sports science and medicine experts, to deliver a holistic learning opportunity for those in the sports community.

Guyart who won two Olympic gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Games in the team foil event and 2004 Athens Games in the individual men’s foil event, led the first workshop to school fencers. The 32-year old Frenchman shared the experiences and challenges in his fencing career which spanned from a young boy learning the sport at five years old to becoming a junior and youth champion to winning his first Olympic medal at the age of 19. Local youth fencers also had the opportunity to challenge Guyart in sparring matches and share bragging rights on scoring points against a star Olympian.

The workshops on the second day of the event have been designed to educate and inform stakeholders of the current and relevant issues faced by athletes. Exhibition displays and fencing demonstrations staged by student fencers from SJI Junior and Raffles Girls’ Primary School and the National Youth Fencers will illustrate scenarios and deliver messages of positive sports values as well as knowledge of the sport. A panel discussion, hosted by Singaporean Olympian Tan Wearn Haw, will feature Guyart and Youth Olympic Games fencers Justin Ong and Liane Wong. Special guest Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Acting Minister for Manpower and SNOC Executive Committee Member, will address the audience.

A unique element of the workshop series highlights the volunteerism spirit of the sports community. The event is organised almost in entirety by parents, teachers and students in the fencing community with a common objective to engage, inspire and share, and to encourage Singaporeans to set clear visions in achieving their sporting and Olympic goals.

“Today, the fencing community has clearly demonstrated that sports can be a powerful platform to engage and inspire the youth and community. It is very heartening to see many volunteers, as young as Primary 5 students to parents of athletes, all who have put their time and resources together to make this workshop series a success. The Singapore National Olympic Council and Olympians Singapore are very pleased to be part of this initiative and will continue to support the community in their endeavours to promote sports and Olympism,” said Chris Chan, Secretary-General, Singapore National Olympic Council.

“Olympians Singapore is very impressed with the drive and efforts of the community in putting the workshops together. We hope that the Olympians can reiterate the importance of enjoying sports as a participant and ignite the interest of competing at the Olympics in the young athletes,” said Dr Tan Eng Liang, President of Olympians Singapore.

“I had a great experience being involved in the organisation of the workshop series. The support from Singapore National Olympic Council, Olympians Singapore, St. Joseph’s Institution Junior and our partners has been fantastic and encouraging. My fellow volunteers, young and old, Olympians and non-Olympians, have also contributed tremendously to the success of the workshops. I hope the athletes and parents have benefited from My Olympic Journey and the workshops have provided a better insight to help them to achieve their sporting and life goals,” said Yau Wee Sian, volunteer and father of two student-athletes.

Mr Ng Ser Miang, IOC member and Chairman of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, who will be observing the workshop at SJI Junior on Saturday, commented, “The sports community has embraced the legacy of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games to expand their horizons to continue to be part of the Olympic movement. The talent pool in the fencing community is strengthening and we hope this initiative will sustain the continued efforts of sports development in Singapore.”

The partners supporting My Olympic Journey are:
St. Joseph’s Institution Junior – Host school
Fencing Singapore
Singapore Sports School
Changi Sports Medicine Centre
Mental Notes Consulting