Airbnb join hands with IOC and IPC to launch online experiences
Representative image
Airbnb, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are bringing people closer than ever to the magic of Tokyo 2020 with a special program taking place during the Games of more than 200 Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences, only on Airbnb. Hosted by both competing and retired sporting heroes, these one-of-a-kind experiences allow athletes to share their passion with guests who can connect with them directly during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Hosts of the Online Experiences include John John Florence, Pita Taufatofua, Sky Brown, Jonny Brownlee, Hannah Mills, Clarisse Agbegnenou, Alice Dearing, Katie Zaferes, Ibrahim Al Hussein, Jonnie Peacock, Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis and Bassa and Mickaël Mawem, meaning guests can connect with a variety of athletes before or after they compete in Tokyo 2020. Guests will also be able to relive a personal Olympic or Paralympic story directly with living legends such as Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird, Shiva Keshavan, Brandi Chastain, Michael Johnson, Chris Waddell and Benoit Huot.
Catherine Powell, Global Head of Hosting, Airbnb, said, “With spectatorship looking different this year, audiences are searching for new ways to support Olympians and Paralympians during Tokyo 2020. Airbnb is all about creating unique experiences that connect people, and Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences allow fans to feel closer to their heroes than ever before. These interactive activities will provide an intimate window into the Games, all made possible by the 200+ athletes joining our Hosting community this summer.”
Among the 30+ international teams represented through Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences, are 10 IOC Refugee Olympic Team, Refugee Paralympic Team and Scholarship Holder Hosts, including Chef de Mission for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, Tegla Loroupe and swimmer Yusra Mardini. By Hosting Online Experiences on Airbnb, athletes are given the chance to earn money by sharing their skills and passion for sport with the world, and a number of the refugee athletes are leveraging the opportunity by hosting interactive activities, and sharing their journeys from Survive and Thrive with Asif Sultani to Daring to Dream with Ibrahim Al Hussein to workout classes with Ehsan Naghibzadeh.
Kaveh Mehrabi, Director of the Athletes’ Department at the IOC, said, “As international fans around the world won’t be able to experience the thrill of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, we wanted to create a unique alternative to bring together athletes and fans while keeping the same sense of discovery and exclusivity. Against this backdrop, the Olympian and Paralympian experiences platform is a fantastic opportunity for athletes to build a personal relationship with their fanbase and feel their support, while the platform will also bring the incredible Olympic spirit to people across the globe. As part of our effort to empower athletes at all stages of their career, the positive response to the past year’s activities has indeed confirmed that offering athletes the possibility to host such experiences presents them with new life-changing opportunities.”
Andrew Parsons, President, IPC, said, “When the Games in Tokyo were postponed last year Airbnb excelled themselves. The creation of the Olympic and Paralympic Online Experiences platform allowed many Para athletes to not only share their passions with people all over the world but also provided them with a valuable income stream in the absence of competition. Now the most important Paralympic Games in history are upon us and I’m thrilled to see so many Para athletes on the Airbnb Experiences platform, not least the amazing athletes of our Refugee Paralympic Team. I would encourage people to grab this rare opportunity to view the Games up close and personal with the stars of the show.”