The skiers, aged from 12-15 and accompanied by two Mongolian trainers and an interpreter, flew out of Ulaanbaatar on January 13 for the first of a series of 10 trainings in the lead-up to Olympic qualification and two of which will be in Switzerland. By their side was Dr Pascal Gertsch, who was inspired by the children of Dadal soum in Khentii aimag to make their journey possible.
Dr Gertsch, an avid photographer, first visited Dadal in 2016 while on a winter photographic excursion. In the soum, renowned as the birthplace of Chinggis Khaan, he came across a group of skiing enthusiasts among the border troops stationed there, who sought his help in organising a cross-country race.
The following summer, he returned with 20 pairs of ski shoes and other skiing equipment to find race preparations well under way in adjoining Binder soum. Among the competitors was a group of talented local children, whose love of the sport prompted Dr Gertsch to help young Mongolian skiers compete in the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
“I’m involved in this project because of the children from Dadal, who became interested in skiing and subsequently competed in a Binder skiing race in 2016,” Dr Gertsch said. “I wanted them to take part in the Winter Youth Olympics.”
He met with representatives from the Mongolian Ski Federation, the Mongolian Olympics Committee and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports, and following their requests to support skiing, he pledged to help the nation’s young skiers.
The 15 youths chosen to travel to Lausanne come from throughout the country. Most were nominated by the Mongolian Ski Federation, and five by Dr Gertsch. Each skier received a package of materials valued at CHF 1500 that included skis, poles and shoes donated by the “godfathers” Dr Gertsch found for each athlete.
He has high hopes for the young skiers, and anticipates that at least two will qualify for the Youth Olympics.
“No matter what, their experience will result in lifelong friendships forged between the youth in both countries and will be an unforgettable experience.”
Courtesy of the generosity of a range of people and organisations in Switzerland, Dr Gertsch was able to afford a Swiss trainer at the training camp, and ensure the children had proper accommodation and food for the duration of their stay at Le Sentier ,Vallée de Joux, the location of the Youth Olympic Game Lausanne 2020. Dr Gertsch has also contributed financially to this endeavour.
“All actions and projects undertaken by Dr Gertsch go beyond the humanitarian aspects and have the purpose of engaging youth through sports,” said Ian Logan, CEO of Lausanne 2020, Sport House International.
