Dreaming big
The Dream Programme is an annual sports camp initiative that gives young people from countries with little or no access to winter sports the opportunity to practise them in PyeongChang.
Since its inception in 2004, it has hosted over 2,500 13 to 23-year-olds from 97 countries. Hailing from nations as diverse as Afghanistan, Malaysia and Uruguay, they are invited to the Republic of Korea to experience winter sports such as snowboarding, curling and figure skating, training at PyeongChang 2018 competition venues.
Over 200 Dream Programme participants have gone on to compete in international competitions, including the Olympic Winter Games. Some 39 of them competed at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Still going strong, the Dream Programme was created as part of a previous bid by PyeongChang to host the Olympic Winter Games and is run by the PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation.. The programme also gives participants an insight into Korean culture. As well as visiting the K-culture Academy, where they can learn about taekwondo and samulnori, a Korean percussive art genre, they also attend special lectures on topics such as global citizenship.