Salt Lake City-Utah, newly named host of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, amplified its message of sport and community, forging a long-term partnership with Sport dans la Ville, a French youth sports organization that provides opportunities to underserved communities. The partnership is part of Salt Lake City-Utah 2034’s initiative to promote sport as a tool to bring communities closer together.
The partnership was announced Thursday (July 25) at Festival 24 de Sport dans la Ville. The youth sports festival in Paris’ Jardin d’Acclimatation served as a backdrop with more than 500 young people from 34 countries around the world celebrating the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and showcasing social engagement through sport.
“Sport and community are a vital message for us in Utah and with our sport friends around the world,” said Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Board Chair Catherine Raney Norman, a four-time Olympic speedskater. “Our partnership with Sport dans le Ville will foster deeper relationships and learnings on how we can engage more kids in sport and help bring communities closer together.”
“For the last 20 years, Sport dans la Ville has partnered with American youth organizations and has impacted the lives of hundreds of American and French youth,” said co-founder and Executive Director Phillipe Oddou. “Today we are thrilled to offer these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to youth to discover the majesty of both the French Alps and Utah’s Wasatch Range.”
The program was highlighted by an appearance by Olympic downhill skiing gold medalists Carole Montillet (2002) from France and Lindsey Vonn (2010) from the USA.
Sport dans la Ville was started in 1998 as a social project to help underserved communities by integrating team sports programs in the heart of neighborhoods and ultimately linking them to job opportunities. In its more than a quarter-century of work, Sport dans la Ville has made a significant impact in communities through its sport programs.
Utah’s First Lady Abby Cox, who helped spearhead a delegation of six Utah teens attending the festival, addressed the diverse audience of youth from around the world. “In Utah, we love to serve – we love to give back,” she said to the crowd. “It’s part of who we are. I look across the audience, and I see similarities. We have differences across our countries, but we also have so many similarities. We want to disconnect from our phones and connect with our communities. What can you do as the next generation? Do you want to change the world? Change your communities! Build up your communities.”
The success of Sport dans la Ville has been due to the long-term continuity of bringing sport to underserved communities. Its programs engage youth through sport, leading to the development of personal career skills and job opportunities by inspiring youth and instilling a desire to achieve new goals.
Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 has built its vision on elevating communities and sport. With a Games plan in place to use all existing venues for 2034, Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 plans to build on its already strong living legacy by focusing on sport and community now, nearly 10 years before the Games.
“Without the need to focus on venue construction now, we have a unique opportunity to really focus on sport and community,” said Raney Norman. “This partnership is just one example of how we plan to both learn from others and to share our own experiences.”
The Utah delegation of young athletes included: Tyson Adamson, Lehi; Raymond Soto, Salt Lake City; Harun Ahmed, Salt Lake City; Victoria Rosales, Park City; Jazmin Solis, Mount Pleasant; and Ellie Finlonson, Moroni. The group traveled first to Lyon, part of the French Alps 2030 bid, before heading to Paris.
Private donations supported the group through the SLC-UT 2034 Committee for the Games and the Project 29 initiative, which aims to unite sport and community across the state. Both the Larry H. Miller Group and Smith Entertainment group provided Utah sports memorabilia to the entire 500+ youth attendees including Big League Utah baseballs and sports T-shirts.