- With the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 postponed until 2021, Airbnb, the IOC, and the IPC will bring the spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics online with a curated program of activities hosted by athletes for the first time in history
- Three-time Malaysian Olympic Cyclist, Josiah Ng, will be hosting his own Online Experience on the platform
- Other Olympians and Paralympians include Tony Hawk, Naomi Osaka, Yusra Mardini, Rui Hachimura, Allyson Felix, and more, hosting over 100 Online Experiences in total
Catch World Renown Superstar Athletes At The Newest Airbnb Online Experience
Airbnb, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are announcing a five-day summer festival taking place from July 24 to July 29 featuring more than 100 Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences hosted virtually by some of the world’s best athletes.
Malaysia’s very own Josiah Ng joins his fellow superstar athletes in hosting his own Online Experience – The Secrets to Winning From an Olympian. Guests from all over the world will be able to hear from this three-time Olympic cyclist as he shares parts of his 25-year journey as a professional cyclist and his secrets to winning at the highest level in sports, career and life.
Throughout the five days of programming across multiple time zones, the lineup will also showcase a variety of interactive Online Experiences that guests can now book* on Airbnb. Spectators can also watch select Online Experiences live or on replay on Airbnb and Olympic and Paralympic YouTube channels. While many hosts will continue to offer their activities after the event ends, like the art of reinvention with Olympian Simidele Adeagbo (skeleton, Nigeria) and positive thinking with Paralympic hero Stephen Miller (athletics, Great Britain), several will be once-in-a-lifetime Online Experiences available exclusively during the festival**, including Zumba beachside in paradise with Tom Hintnaus (athletics, Brazil) on July 27 and Work Out with Naomi Osaka (tennis, Japan) on July 28.
To kick off five days of programming, on July 24, Colin Jackson, silver medalist in the Olympic Games Seoul 1988 and commentator for the BBC, will host a fireside chat with Pita Taufatofua, global phenomenon from the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games Rio 2016, and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, 16-time medalist in the Paralympic Games. For the grand finale on July 29, Tony Hawk, one of the most recognized action sports figures in the world, and his legendary and Olympic-hopeful friends will host the closing act at their ramp in Vista, California, as an ode to skateboarding and the other new sports that will debut at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 next year.
“At a time when it is difficult for people to gather and celebrate the exceptional performance of athletes, Airbnb is proud to host the summer festival which is a new way to experience the Olympic and Paralympic spirit online. Guests will be able to connect and interact with some of the most elite competitors within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, giving them even more reasons to cheer them on next year,” said Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia.
“Paralympians and Para athletes are masters of innovation and finding creative solutions to daily challenges they face,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons. “The summer festival of Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences celebrates this tenacity and gives Para athletes a platform to share their stories to empower others, while also offering a new earning opportunity especially needed during these difficult times.”
While the festival will give fans unprecedented global access to connect with athletes from over 20 countries and regions all from the comfort of their homes, numerous Online Experiences in the lineup will also meaningfully promote:
- Economic opportunities for athletes: As Online Experiences launched as a way for hosts to earn money during the global pandemic, Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences is a new platform to provide direct earning opportunities for athletes, underlining the efforts of Airbnb, the IOC, and the IPC to support athletes, and to put them at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
- Resilience through adversity: Numerous athlete hosts will inspire perseverance through their Online Experiences, like Yusra Mardini, the Syrian swimmer who became a member of the first ever IOC Refugee Olympic Team in 2016 and whose story became known for saving 20 lives with her sister, including their own lives, during a treacherous journey from Syria to find safety in Europe, who will host a one-off workshop on resilience. Another inspiring option is co-hosted by Tegla Loroupe, Chef de Mission for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, and Rio 2016 Olympian, IOC Refugee Olympic Team hopeful for Tokyo 2020 James Chiengjiek Nyang, as they will welcome guests will transport guests virtually to the Tegla Loroupe Training Centre in Kenya. Tegla has been the guide and mentor to the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.
- The world-class hospitality of Japan: In addition to the Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences and as a way to celebrate Tokyo 2020, local hosts in Japan will offer guests a way to travel and explore the cultures and traditions of the country from their living rooms. Through support from Shibuya City Tourism Association, local hosts will lead a package of unique online activities like Become a Ramen Expert and A Tour of Historic Shibuya. Other ways to virtually transport to Japan will include Sake Secrets from Japan’s Oldest Brewery and Explore Kyoto Where Unique Old Gods Live.
For more information on the summer festival lineup, visit airbnb.com/festival. If fans miss the chance to participate in the five-day event, many athletes will continue to host their Experiences – both online and in-person in countries where it’s safe and permissible to do so – with even more that will be added to Airbnb in the coming months and years. Olympic and Paralympic athletes who are interested in sharing their passions with guests to earn supplemental income can learn more and sign up to become a host here.
Source: Press Release
