One hundred up and coming junior athletes are participating in the Olympic Training Camp, which runs until Sunday 12 October at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Park. The trainees, aged between nine and 18 years, are already gaining prominence in championships both in Brazil and on the world stage. Part of what they learn is that being an athlete is about much more than doing sports. Training clinics, talks on themes such as psychology, nutrition and the Olympic spirit, and tips from renowned athletes and coaches are offered.

This first Training Camp brings together four sports: synchronized swimming, triathlon, judo and wrestling. In the triathlon, rain has not dampened the enthusiasm of the novices, who are swimming and running under the supervision of coordinators and coaches. “It’s great to train in a facility that hosted the Pan American Games, to be here as an athlete, not as a spectator,” says 17-year-old Breno Werneck, who this year won his second Brazilian aquathlon and came second in the junior category of the Copa Brasil Triathlon.

In the aquatic park’s auditorium, the trainers are attending talks on the importance of the links between sport and culture, the environment and society, as well as having contact with Olympic values, such as solidarity, friendship and respecting fair play. “This first Training Camp is special because it brings together diverse disciplines at one time. It’s a chance to exchange experiences,” says Nira Lima, from the Culture Department of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, who spoke on Olympism.

From the tatami mats, friends Rafaela Lopes Silva (right) and Thamara César will take some new judo know-how home with them. They know that the Training Camp is a chance to hear life stories and learn about the obstacles that many of their precursors have encountered during their careers. “Like the professional athletes, we can’t give up at the first problem,” says 15-year-old Thamara, 2007 South American judo champion in the pre-juvenile category.

Rafaela, two-time Pan American youth champion and South American youth champion in 2008, appreciated the opportunity to train in a top-level competition space and interact with other young athletes, as well as experienced professionals.

Organized by the Brazilian Olympic Committee, the Training Camp is sponsored by the International Olympic Committee’s Solidarity Program.