“Being selected as an IOC Young Leader is an incredible achievement for me, both personally and professionally,” said Oleksandra Boliak. “This program is about leadership and making a real impact through sport while aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. I am excited to establish additional international connections, particularly with stakeholders in the Olympic Movement, and contribute to meaningful change through sport.”

As a Ukrainian national, Oleksandra’s project is to integrate internally displaced youth into their new community through sport, given the expectation that a lot of families from eastern Ukraine will be forced to move to west. Programs include the organization of local sports festivals to let youth try different kinds of sports (including flying disc) and the introduction of these displaced youth to coaches and instructors who can invite them to train and become part of the local sport clubs and teams. The objective is socialization, new friends, and opportunities to become integrated into their new communities.

WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch congratulated Oleksandra on her selection: “We are extremely proud of Oleksandra and her dedication to using sport for social good. We are confident that her involvement in this program will not only contribute to her personal and professional growth but also enhance WFDF’s mission to promote flying disc sports worldwide.”

Oleksandra joined WFDF in March 2024, bringing experience as a sports project manager and coordinator of initiatives under the European Week of Sport and Erasmus+ Sport programmes. She previously worked at the Sports Committee of Ukraine, focusing on the development of non-Olympic sports, and played a key role in organizing the Ukrainian Beach Games and Ukrainian Student Games.

The selection process for the seventh edition of the IOC Young Leaders programme was launched in September 2024 through the #ApplyNow campaign. This attracted 5,270 young people from 169 countries and territories who registered for the initial Four-Week Learning Sprint. This phase served as an opportunity to directly engage global youth on topics such as sport for sustainable development, Olympism365, the Olympic Movement and the Olympic values. Of the initial applicants, 821 young people successfully completed the first phase and received a Certificate of Participation. From these, 465 then applied for the second phase of the programme, leading to the final selection of 25 Young Leaders. All the finalists were validated by their respective National Olympic Committees, which provided input and confirmed the pre-selected candidatures. Through this programme, the IOC Young Leaders will receive a bespoke four-year capacity-building programme that includes expert guidance and coaching, access to an extensive sport and sport-for-development network, and seed funding of CHF 10,000, which will help them turn their ideas into impactful and sustainable initiatives. Find out more about the process and the criteria here: IOC Young Leaders Programme – Application process 2025-2028.