Athlete365 : Supporting the global athlete community
IOC strengthens support to athlete community worldwide 16 May 2022
Supporting athletes has always been a key priority for the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ). As a direct result of the Olympic Agenda 2020 + 5 recommendations , and following its creation last year , the IOC Athletes ’ Department has finalised its structure and is delivering on its mission to strengthen the rights and responsibilities of athletes .
Led by Beijing 2008 Olympian Kaveh Mehrabi , a former international badminton player , the IOC Athletes ’ Department will now operate across four key pillars :
• support and partnerships
• relations
• community engagement
• athlete communications
• digital activations
The Department , run by athletes for athletes , includes four Olympians plus a former elite athlete in a team of 20 staff . More than 10 Olympians and former elite athletes are currently working at the IOC - evidence of the unique expertise and values that athletes bring to sports organisations .
From mental health to safeguarding , career transitioning and financial opportunities , the Department , in close collaboration with other IOC departments , is working on a wide range of programmes . These are designed to support and empower athletes and Olympians throughout their sports career and beyond , and to ensure and protect their well-being , in line with
Olympic Agenda 2020 + 5 , in particular recommendations 3 and 5 .
Emma Terho , Chair of the IOC Athletes ’ Commission ( AC ), commented : “ The creation of the IOC Athletes ’ Department has been strongly endorsed by the AC . Having a dedicated Department will further increase the IOC and IOC AC support to athletes , and will empower and strengthen athlete representation worldwide .”
Support and partnerships : making athletes ’ lives better
Through Athlete365 , the IOC now delivers a range of tools and services that cover essential topics for athletes , including career transition and mental health .
For example , the IOC ’ s # MentallyFit campaign has provided a destination where athletes can access expert-led advice on themes such as sleep and anxiety , while IOC Mental Health Working Group co-Chair Dr Claudia Reardon has delivered a webinar to the athlete community on dealing with uncertainty . Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympians and Paralympians were offered 24 / 7 access to a Mental Health Helpline during the Games and for up to three months after , through which they could benefit from counselling sessions .
Services for athletes off the field , such as athlete career opportunities , continue to improve thanks to Athlete365 Career + , boosted by the IOC ’ s extension of its collaboration with The Adecco Group . Athletes can now access the Athlete Career Portal , which provides bespoke attribute assessment tools , and browse employment opportunities through the
Employment section , which was launched recently . The Athlete365 Business Accelerator programme continues to go from strength to strength , with 28 of the latest intake of Olympian entrepreneurs receiving six months ’ worth of expert mentoring to help them turn their business ideas into a reality .
Complementing this , further financial opportunities for athletes have been provided through innovative programmes delivered with Worldwide Olympic Partners . For example , the IOC and IPC in partnership with Airbnb are giving athletes a grant to support them on their journey to the Games , and are providing further earning opportunities through the Airbnb Olympian & Paralympian Experiences programme .
Intel has paired employees with athletes as part of the Intel Mentoring Programme , while making educational tool LinkedIn Learning and wellbeing app Headspace available for athletes to access for free . Meanwhile , the P & G Athletes for Good programme has awarded almost USD 1 million in grants to athletes who are supporting charities linked to community impact , equality and inclusion , and environmental sustainability .