I belong to those who were born into the sport of orienteering. I started as a young girl and continued up to senior age. I navigated incorrectly for a couple of years, but have found the right way again.
Today, almost everything in my life is about orienteering, both my job and my free time, as a youth leader in the local orienteering club, OK Tyr in Sweden.
Together with others, I want to contribute to give more children and young people the chance to try our wonderful sport in various forms. To navigate from point A to point B using a map.
When I was growing up, orienteering was not one of the coolest sports. But today, thanks to our superstars who repeatedly deliver so much entertainment, interest has increased. As a youth leader, I see new children and young people coming to our club activities.
World Orienteering Day is a golden opportunity to spread our sport, to make more people discover the cool things about finding the right way.
To be able to follow individuals on, perhaps, their first contact with orientation. Everyone from the cocky type who takes the path with an attitude that this is as simple as can be, to those who ask for guidance in understanding and translating reality to the map. When these individuals afterwards have been able to navigate from point A to point B and with a smile on their face… then it is total happiness for me. Maybe this person will find his or her way to orienteering; if not, then he or she has had a positive experience of the most wonderful sport that exists.
I am thankful for the enthusiastic people that I meet – people who are working so hard to spread our amazing sport.
I am humbled and grateful to all of you around the world who are creating these opportunities during World Orienteering Day. They give children and young people the chance to experience orienteering, to navigate, to translate their surroundings, to find the right way!
I am proud to be the project manager for World Orienteering Day.
I am proud to be part of something bigger, where we colour the world – Together!
Take care, all of you and I hope to “see” you during World Orienteering Day 2021.
Jenny Nilsson
World Orienteering Day Project Manager
