On Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March, Olympic champions and distinguished athletes representing the National Olympic Academy met with students of the Bodossakio Primary School of the Athens College at the premises of the International Olympic Academy, in an educational and sporting action on the Olympic values.
On the first day of the programme, 140 students met the athletes of ETHNOA: Stergios Papachristos (rowing), Polly Saregou (basketball), Maria Christoforidis (weightlifting), Christina Kalta (rhythmic gymnastics), Iphinoi Davvetas (artistic swimming), Anna Charalambidou (water polo), Alexandros Yakupovich (tennis), Sofia Simantiri (volleyball) and Panagiotis Themelis (archery). Through sports activities and competitions, the children learned about individual and team sports and experienced the values of sport in practice.
Then, they were informed about the history of the Olympic Games, their revival and the Olympic symbols. Reference was also made to the Winter Olympics and the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026, which took place on the same day. On the occasion of the National Day against School Violence and Bullying on 6 March, students discussed respect, inclusion and empathy, capturing their thoughts through drawings.
The second day began with presentations of the nine athletes by the students and was followed by a discussion about their sports, the demands of the athletic career, but also the powerful moments that sport gives. The activity was concluded with a visit to the Pierre de Coubertin Monument, the Ancient Stadium and the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity.
