The Finnish Olympic Committee has begun a partnership with Rohkaisijat. The aim of the partnership is to involve athletes in encouraging children and young people in sport.
The Olympic Committee has invited Olympic athletes, grant recipients, and Next Generation athletes to take part in the initiative. As part of Rohkaisijat, athletes can draw on their own experiences and lead by example to encourage a child or young person when they need it most.
A little encouragement can make a big difference
The story of Rohkaisijat began with a single 58-second video. Former professional basketball player Juho Nenonen sent a video message to an 11-year-old boy who had long experienced intense nervousness before basketball games and was considering giving up basketball.
A few weeks later, the boy’s mother said that he had played for the first time all year without feeling nauseous due to nervousness.
This is essentially what Rohkaisijat is all about: at a crucial moment, a child, a young person, or a team receives encouragement from a role model whose words can carry special meaning.
Rohkaisijat is now a community of over 250 people that encourages children, young people, and teams throughout Finland. Its members range from local role models to high-performance athletes. Among them are Mörkö Anttila, Laura Lepistö, Minna Kauppi, and Sasu Salin. Sauli Niinistö serves as the patron of Rohkaisijat.
Participation in Rohkaisijat is voluntary. Participation does not require a long-term commitment — even a single message to a child or young person can make a difference.
Would you like to join us as a Rohkaisija?
The Olympic Committee encourages athletes to get involved. As part of Rohkaisijat, you’ll have the opportunity to support children and young people in sport by sharing your own experiences and stories, and remind them that sport involves not only success but also nervousness, uncertainty and difficult moments.
You can learn more about Rohkaisijat and the story behind the initiative by watching these videos (in Finnish):
- The Story of the Rohkaisijat – How, What, and Why? (Video, 7 min.)
- Why join Rohkaisijat? (Video, 9 min.)
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can join by filling out a short registration form.
More Information
Petra Skonbäck, petra.skonback@olympiakomitea.fi
Teemu Harinen, teemu@rohkaisijat.fi, +358504922944