SAN FRANCISCO, July 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Airbnb, the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International
Paralympic Committee (IPC) are announcing a five-day summer
festival featuring more than 100 Olympian and Paralympian Online
Experiences hosted virtually by some of the world's best athletes.
The festival of Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences will
kick off with an opening act on July
24, when the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were originally
scheduled to begin, and is an opportunity for athletes to generate
income while they share their passion for the Olympic and
Paralympic Games and their sport with guests.
"At a time when it is difficult for people to gather and
celebrate the exceptional performance of athletes, Airbnb is proud
to host the summer festival which is a new way to experience the
Olympic and Paralympic spirit online. Guests will be able to
connect and interact with some of the most elite competitors within
the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, giving them even more reasons
to cheer them on next year," said Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia.
Throughout the five days of programming across multiple time
zones, the lineup will showcase a variety of interactive Online
Experiences that guests can book* on Airbnb from July 22. Spectators can also watch select Online
Experiences live or on replay on Airbnb and Olympic and Paralympic
YouTube channels. While many hosts will continue to offer their
activities after the event ends, like the art of reinvention with
Olympian Simidele Adeagbo (skelton, Nigeria) and positive thinking with Paralympic
hero Stephen Miller (athletics,
Great Britain), several will be
once-in-a-lifetime Online Experiences available exclusively during
the festival**, like:
- July 25: Build resilience
to overcome obstacles with Yusra
Mardini (swimming, IOC Refugee Olympic Team Rio 2016), learn
about returning to sport after motherhood with Allyson Felix (athletics, USA), and work up a sweat in an inclusive
session with Tatyana McFadden
(athletics, USA),
- July 26: Cook up a storm
with legend Colin Jackson
(athletics, Great Britain), join a
scenic training ride with Jonny
Brownlee (triathlon, Great
Britain), and discover velodrome secrets with Elia Viviani (cycling track, Italy)
- July 27: Chat mind, body
and spirit with Jackie Joyner-Kersee
(athletics, USA), push through
boundaries and level up in life with Meb
Keflezighi (marathon, USA),
get vulnerable to unlock greatness with Kerri Walsh Jennings (beach volleyball,
USA), and Zumba beachside in
paradise with Tom Hintnaus
(athletics, Brazil)
- July 28: Get a glimpse
into quarantine training with two time grand slam winning Naomi
Osaka (tennis, Japan), run,
breathe and connect with world record sprinter Zhenye XIE
(athletics, China), learn a grand
slam inspired training regime with Sania
Mirza (tennis, India), and
master perseverance with Pita Taufatofua (Taekwondo and cross
country skiing, Tonga)
- July 29: Fall in love with
sneaker culture with Rui Hachimura (basketball, Japan), get up close and personal at home with
Jordy Smith (surfing, South Africa), and see beyond the boundaries
of vision with blind champion Lex
Gillette (athletics, USA)
"The Olympic Games bring the whole world together and whilst we
will all have to wait one more year to celebrate in Tokyo, the Olympic flame continues to be the
light at the end of the dark tunnel humankind is currently going
through. It demonstrates that we are stronger together. This
festival is a great platform to unite and inspire the world in the
spirit of friendship and solidarity this summer. The IOC puts the
athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement and supports them at
every stage of their journey. We are delighted to collaborate with
Airbnb to provide innovative economic empowerment opportunities for
Olympic and Paralympic athletes around the world," said IOC
President Thomas Bach.
"Paralympians and Para athletes are masters of innovation and
finding creative solutions to daily challenges they face," said IPC
President Andrew Parsons. "The
summer festival of Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences
celebrates this tenacity and gives Para athletes a platform to
share their stories to empower others, while also offering a new
earning opportunity especially needed during these difficult
times."
While the festival will give fans unprecedented global access to
connect with athletes from over 20 countries and regions all from
the comfort of their homes, numerous Online Experiences in the
lineup will also meaningfully promote:
- Economic opportunities for athletes: As Online
Experiences launched as a way for hosts to earn money during the
global pandemic, Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences is a
new platform to provide direct earning opportunities for athletes,
underlining the efforts of Airbnb, the IOC, and the IPC to support
athletes, and to put them at the heart of the Olympic and
Paralympic Movement.
- Resilience through adversity: Numerous athlete hosts
will inspire perseverance through their Online Experiences, like
Yusra Mardini, the Syrian swimmer
who became a member of the first ever IOC Refugee Olympic Team in
2016 and whose story became known for saving 20 lives with her
sister, including their own lives, during a treacherous journey
from Syria to find safety in
Europe, who will host a one-off
workshop on resilience. Another inspiring option is co-hosted by
Tegla Loroupe, Chef de Mission for the IOC Refugee Olympic
Team, and Rio 2016 Olympian, IOC Refugee Olympic Team hopeful for
Tokyo 2020 James Chiengjiek Nyang,
as they will welcome guests will transport guests virtually to the
Tegla Loroupe Training Centre in Kenya.Tegla has been the guide and
mentor to the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.
- The world-class hospitality of Japan: In addition to the Olympian and
Paralympian Online Experiences and as a way to celebrate
Tokyo 2020, local hosts in
Japan will offer guests a way to
travel and explore the cultures and traditions of the country from
their living rooms. Through support from Shibuya City Tourism
Association, local hosts will lead a package of unique online
activities like Become a Ramen Expert and A Tour of Historic
Shibuya. Other ways to virtually transport to Japan will include Sake Secrets from
Japan's Oldest Brewery and Explore
Kyoto Where Unique Old Gods Live.
For more information on the summer festival lineup, visit
airbnb.com/festival. If fans miss the chance to participate in the
five-day event, many athletes will continue to host their
Experiences - both online and in-person in countries where it's
safe and permissible to do so - with even more that will be added
to Airbnb in the coming months and years. Olympic and Paralympic
athletes who are interested in sharing their passions with guests
to earn supplemental income can learn more and sign up to become a
host here.
*To book, users must update the Airbnb app available on iOS
and Android
**Final lineup for the Olympian and
Paralympian Online Experiences may be subject to change
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SOURCE Airbnb, Inc.